The reliable Dokku workflow is: install the official MariaDB plugin on the Dokku host, create a MariaDB service, link that service to your Laravel app, confirm that Laravel reads the generated connection URL, deploy, and run migrations from the app container. Linking keeps MariaDB on Dokku’s private Docker network and supplies the app with an internal DATABASE_URL.
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What the connection looks like
Dokku services are separate containers. Your Laravel web container does not connect to a database on localhost; it connects to the MariaDB service over Dokku’s internal Docker network. The plugin creates the service, stores its credentials, and exposes a connection URL when you link it to an application.
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A typical generated value has this shape:
mysql://<user>:<password>@dokku-mariadb-appdb:3306/appdbThe hostname is intended for containers attached to Dokku’s network. It is not a public DNS name for your laptop or the wider internet. You normally do not need to expose MariaDB publicly just to let Laravel use it.
Prerequisites and version checks
- A running Dokku host with administrative access.
- Docker meeting the plugin’s documented minimum of 1.8.x or newer.
- Dokku 0.19.x or newer, as stated in the plugin documentation.
- A Laravel application already configured as a Dokku app, with a web process that honors Dokku’s
PORTenvironment variable. - A decision about the service name. Choose a stable name such as
appdb; changing names later means changing the link and application configuration.
The plugin documentation is maintained at https://github.com/dokku/dokku-mariadb.git. It currently reports MariaDB 12.2.2 as the default image version. Treat that as a value to review before production: check the image and compatibility requirements for the release you intend to run rather than assuming every application should use the newest default.
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1. Install the Dokku MariaDB plugin
Run the installation on the Dokku host, not inside the Laravel container:
sudo dokku plugin:install https://github.com/dokku/dokku-mariadb.git --name mariadbThe --name mariadb option gives the plugin the command namespace used in the remaining examples. After installation, Dokku should recognize commands such as dokku mariadb:create, dokku mariadb:link, and dokku mariadb:info.
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If the install fails, first check that the host can reach GitHub, that the command is being run with the required privileges, and that the Dokku and Docker versions satisfy the plugin’s documented requirements. Do not create a service until the plugin installation completes successfully; otherwise later failures can look like database or Laravel problems when the service commands are simply unavailable.
2. Create a MariaDB service
Create the service before attempting to link it:
dokku mariadb:create appdbappdb is the service name in this example. The plugin creates the database container, initializes its credentials, and records the service so Dokku can manage links and lifecycle operations. Use a name that communicates ownership and will remain meaningful if you deploy more applications to the same host.
Do not confuse the service name with the Laravel application name. If your Dokku app is called my-laravel-app, the two resources are still distinct:
| Resource | Example name | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| MariaDB service | appdb |
Runs MariaDB and owns the database credentials. |
| Dokku application | my-laravel-app |
Runs Laravel’s web and worker processes. |
The plugin’s current documentation reports MariaDB 12.2.2 as its default image version. Before a production deployment, verify that your Laravel version, SQL modes, extensions, and migration set are compatible with the image selected by the plugin. Pin or change the image only according to the plugin’s documented procedure; do not treat the reported default as a guarantee that it will remain unchanged.
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Linking is the operation that gives the app its connection information:
dokku mariadb:link appdb my-laravel-appDokku normally restarts the app after a link. The plugin sets DATABASE_URL to an internal URI similar to:
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mysql://<user>:<password>@dokku-mariadb-appdb:3306/appdbThe exact username, password, and generated hostname are controlled by the service, so copy the value from Dokku rather than constructing credentials by hand. The hostname beginning with dokku-mariadb- is for Docker-network connectivity. It should be used by the Laravel container, not entered into a desktop SQL client outside the host.
What linking changes
The link is more than a note associating two names. It injects service connection data into the app environment and, by default, causes a restart so new processes can read that environment. Plan for that restart during deployment. If the app has several processes, each process that opens a database connection must receive the same linked environment.
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Multiple database services
An application can have more than one linked service. The first or promoted service supplies the primary DATABASE_URL. Additional links can receive an alternate variable named in the form DOKKU_DATABASE_<ALIAS>_URL. This lets an application use separate databases for a secondary connection, reporting, or a migration transition, provided the Laravel configuration explicitly maps that variable to a named connection.
The plugin also provides mariadb:promote to make another linked service the primary one. Promotion changes which service is represented by DATABASE_URL; verify the resulting environment and run an application-level connection check before directing traffic to the new primary.
4. Make Laravel read the variable Dokku provides
Laravel’s database settings live in config/database.php. Laravel documentation supports MariaDB 10.3 and newer and documents URL-based configuration when a URL value or DB_URL is present. The important point is not to assume that every Laravel application reads the same variable: inspect the deployed application’s configuration and identify whether its connection definition consumes DATABASE_URL, DB_URL, or individual variables.
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If the connection definition reads a URL, leave the generated DATABASE_URL available to the app and ensure the URL parser is enabled by the configuration used in your deployment. The URL contains the driver, credentials, internal host, port, and database name in one value. Avoid replacing it with a public address; the internal hostname is the intended path between the two containers.
When the application expects separate variables
Some Laravel projects define their connection using separate environment variables such as:
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DB_HOSTDB_PORTDB_DATABASEDB_USERNAMEDB_PASSWORD
In that case, the presence of DATABASE_URL alone does not prove that Laravel will use it. Map the service credentials and endpoint to the variables that config/database.php actually reads. Use the host and port from the linked service’s generated URL, keep the database name consistent with the service, and do not invent a second set of credentials. If you change the configuration source, redeploy so the application container receives the final values.
Nonstandard URL schemes
If the application requires a URL scheme other than the plugin’s normal MySQL-compatible form, the plugin documents the MARIADB_DATABASE_SCHEME setting. Its documented procedure is to unlink the service before changing the scheme and then link it again. Follow that order; editing the scheme while leaving the old link in place can leave the application with stale connection metadata.
5. Deploy Laravel and run migrations
After the service is linked and the Laravel configuration matches the supplied variable, push or redeploy the application. Linking supplies the database environment, but your release still has to boot correctly as a Dokku web process. In particular, the web server must listen on the PORT value Dokku supplies instead of assuming a fixed port.
Run schema migrations from the application container, where the internal service hostname resolves:
dokku run my-laravel-app php artisan migrate --forceThe --force flag is appropriate for a non-interactive deployment command. Run it only after confirming that the linked service is available and that the application is pointing at the intended database. A migration executed against the wrong service can succeed while changing the wrong schema, so verify the app and service names in the command before pressing Enter.
Pre-migration checks
Before applying a production migration, confirm the service name, app name, selected primary link, and database name. Check that the service reports healthy status and that Laravel’s effective configuration uses the linked host rather than a leftover staging or local value. If more than one service is linked, determine whether the app is reading DATABASE_URL or an alias variable. Run the migration from the Dokku app container, not from a shell on your personal computer, because the internal service hostname is normally resolvable only on the Dokku Docker network.
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After the migration, exercise a route, queue job, or health check that performs a real database read and write appropriate to your application. This catches cases where the migration command used one connection while a web or worker process uses another.
Recommended deployment order
- Install the plugin and verify that its commands are available.
- Create the MariaDB service with its permanent name.
- Link the service to the exact Dokku app name.
- Inspect Laravel’s
config/database.phpand align its URL or variable names. - Deploy or redeploy the app so the container receives the link environment.
- Run
php artisan migrate --forcethroughdokku run. - Exercise a database-backed route or job and inspect logs before declaring the release healthy.
6. Verify the service and diagnose failures
Start with Dokku’s service-level information:
dokku mariadb:info appdbThis command is useful for confirming that the service exists, checking its status, and inspecting the DSN that Dokku generated. Compare the service name, host, port, and database name shown there with what Laravel is configured to read.
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For startup, authentication, or initialization errors, inspect the service logs:
dokku mariadb:logs appdbThen inspect the app’s environment and Laravel logs. The following symptoms usually point to different layers:
| Symptom | Likely layer | What to check |
|---|---|---|
“Command not found” for dokku mariadb:* |
Plugin installation | Recheck the plugin install, host privileges, and version requirements. |
| Connection refused or an unavailable service | MariaDB container | Run dokku mariadb:info appdb and dokku mariadb:logs appdb. |
| Authentication failure | Credentials or stale configuration | Compare the generated DSN with the values Laravel actually reads; redeploy after correcting them. |
| Unknown host | Network location | Confirm the app is using the internal service hostname from the link, not a laptop-only or public hostname. |
| Laravel reports no configured connection | Application configuration | Inspect config/database.php and determine whether it consumes DATABASE_URL, DB_URL, or separate DB_* variables. |
| Web process fails after deployment | Dokku process contract | Ensure the web server honors Dokku’s PORT environment variable. |
A successful link does not guarantee that Laravel is using it. Dokku can set DATABASE_URL while a project continues reading only DB_HOST and related variables. That mismatch is one of the most common reasons a service appears healthy while the framework reports a missing or unreachable database.
7. Keep MariaDB private unless external access is required
The generated service hostname and network are designed for internal Docker connectivity. Do not run mariadb:expose merely to connect Laravel to the database; exposing the service is a separate operation intended for cases where an external client genuinely needs public-interface access.
Keeping the service private reduces the number of reachable interfaces and avoids turning database credentials into an internet-facing attack surface. If an administrator or migration tool outside the Dokku host must connect, document that requirement separately, restrict access at the network boundary, and treat the exposure as an exception rather than part of the normal Laravel deployment.
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A self-hosted service is not production-ready merely because migrations succeed. The plugin provides mariadb:backup, mariadb:export, and mariadb:import commands. Establish a schedule, store backup artifacts somewhere other than the database container, and test restoring into a disposable service before relying on the procedure.
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What a usable recovery procedure should answer
- Where backup files are written and how they are protected.
- How often backups run and how many historical copies are retained.
- Which operator can run export and import commands.
- How to create a replacement service and reconnect the Laravel app if the original service is lost.
- How to validate restored tables and application behavior before switching production traffic.
Exports and imports are operational controls, not substitutes for testing. A file that was created successfully can still be unusable if credentials, character sets, permissions, or the target MariaDB version differ from the production service.
Linked Dokku MariaDB versus an external managed service
Dokku’s linked service is a self-hosted choice. An external managed MariaDB service changes who operates the database and where the network path runs. The primary decision factors are operational rather than Laravel-specific:
| Decision factor | Linked Dokku service | External managed MariaDB |
|---|---|---|
| Network location | Same Dokku host or Docker network; normally a short internal path. | Separate provider network; latency and firewall rules must be planned. |
| Backups and upgrades | You schedule, monitor, and test them using Dokku/plugin operations. | The provider may operate them, but scope and guarantees depend on its plan. |
| Recovery controls | Plugin backup, export, and import commands are directly available. | Recovery tools and retention are provider-specific. |
| Cost | No price is established by Dokku’s cited documentation; host and storage costs are your responsibility. | Pricing and service levels vary by provider and are not established here. |
| Version control | You choose when to review and change the plugin’s MariaDB image. | The provider controls available versions and upgrade windows. |
| Operational responsibility | You own patching, capacity, monitoring, backups, and restoration. | The provider handles some infrastructure work, while you still own Laravel credentials, schema changes, and application compatibility. |
For a small Dokku deployment that values a private network and direct control, linking the plugin service is straightforward. Choose an external service when its managed recovery, geographic separation, or operational guarantees justify the additional network and provider dependencies.
Final connection checklist
- The MariaDB plugin is installed on the Dokku host.
- The service was created with
dokku mariadb:create <service>before linking. - The app is linked with
dokku mariadb:link <service> <app>. DATABASE_URLor the alternate linked variable is the variable Laravel’s configuration actually reads.- The app uses the internal service hostname and does not require MariaDB to be exposed publicly.
- The web process honors
PORT. - Migrations run from the app container and target the intended service.
dokku mariadb:infoanddokku mariadb:logsshow a healthy service.- Backup, export, import, and restore procedures have been tested.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Laravel not reading Dokku’s DATABASE_URL?
Dokku can set DATABASE_URL while the project’s config/database.php reads only DB_HOST, DB_PORT, DB_DATABASE, DB_USERNAME, and DB_PASSWORD. Inspect the connection definition and either enable its URL-based configuration or map the linked service values to the variables it actually consumes. Redeploy after changing the configuration.
Do I need to expose MariaDB for Laravel to connect?
No. The linked hostname is designed for containers on Dokku’s internal Docker network. Use mariadb:expose only when an external client genuinely requires public-interface access. Exposing the service just to make Laravel connect adds unnecessary network exposure.
What is the correct order: create, link, or migrate?
Create the service first with dokku mariadb:create, link it with dokku mariadb:link, align Laravel’s configuration, deploy or redeploy the app, and then run php artisan migrate --force through dokku run. This order ensures the migration runs from a container that can resolve the internal service hostname.
Can one Laravel app use two MariaDB services?
Yes. The primary link provides DATABASE_URL; additional links can receive a variable such as DOKKU_DATABASE_ALIAS_URL. Define a separate Laravel connection that reads the alternate variable. The plugin’s mariadb:promote command can make another linked service the primary URL, so verify the environment before switching traffic.
What should I check when the service refuses connections?
Run dokku mariadb:info appdb to confirm that the service exists and is running, then inspect dokku mariadb:logs appdb for startup or authentication errors. Compare the reported DSN with Laravel’s effective host, port, database, and credentials. Also confirm that the app is using the internal Dokku hostname rather than a public or laptop-only address.
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The plugin documentation currently reports MariaDB 12.2.2 as its default image version, while Laravel documents MariaDB 10.3 and newer support. Review the selected image and verify compatibility with your Laravel release, extensions, SQL modes, and migrations before production. Do not assume the plugin’s current default will remain unchanged.
Why does linking restart my Dokku app?
The link operation injects the service connection environment and normally restarts the app so new web and worker processes receive it. Schedule the link accordingly and verify every process that opens database connections after the restart. A successful restart still does not prove Laravel is reading the supplied variable.
Are Dokku backups enough for production?
The plugin supplies backup, export, and import commands, but you still need a schedule, protected storage outside the database container, retention rules, and a tested restore procedure. Restore into a disposable service and validate tables and application behavior. A successfully created export is not proof that recovery will work against a different version or credential set.
The Bottom Line
Install dokku-mariadb, create the service before linking it, and link it to the exact Laravel app name. Make config/database.php consume the generated URL or explicitly mapped variables, migrate from the app container, and verify with Dokku’s info and logs commands. Keep the service private and test backup and restore operations before relying on the deployment.
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