Docker Node.js & NGINX Development Environment

A lightweight, containerized development environment featuring a Node.js (v24-slim) application container fronted by an NGINX (alpine) reverse proxy, configured using Docker Compose, a Makefile, and custom directory structures.

Architecture & Services

• app1: Runs a Node.js 24 environment (node:24-slim) mapping port 3000 internally. It executes a basic HTTP server located in ./www/app1/server.mjs.
• web: Runs an NGINX reverse proxy (nginx:alpine) mapped to host port 80. It routes incoming traffic to app1 using dynamic DNS resolution (127.0.0.11) to prevent container startup race conditions.
• Network: Both services communicate through a custom bridge network named nodejs-network.

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Directory Structure

.
├── docker-compose.yml
├── Makefile
├── nginx
│   └── conf.d
│       ├── app1.conf
│       └── README.md
├── README.md
└── www
    ├── app1
    │   └── server.mjs
    └── README.md

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Prerequisites

• Docker
• Docker Compose
• make (optional, for convenience commands)

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Getting Started

1. Clone or Set Up the Project

Ensure your project directory matches the structure above.

2. Start the Environment

You can start the containers in detached mode using the provided Makefile or Docker Compose directly:

Using make:

make up

Using Docker Compose:

docker compose up -d

3. Stop the Environment

To stop and remove the containers:

Using make:

make down

Using Docker Compose:

docker compose down

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Accessing the Application

1. Add a local host entry to your /etc/hosts file (or equivalent) to resolve app1.localhost to 127.0.0.1:

   127.0.0.1 app1.localhost
   

2. Open your browser or run a curl request:

   curl http://app1.localhost

   Expected response: Hello World!

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Configuration Details

NGINX Reverse Proxy (nginx/conf.d/app1.conf)

The NGINX configuration uses Docker's embedded DNS resolver (127.0.0.11) with variable-based proxying (set $upstream_app1 http://app1:3000;). This ensures NGINX gracefully handles situations where the Node.js container restarts or starts up after NGINX.

Node.js App (www/app1/server.mjs)

A minimal standalone ECMAScript module (.mjs) running a native Node.js HTTP server on port 3000.