How to access a docker container running on MacOSX from another host?

Question

I\'m trying to get started with docker and want to run the Ubiquiti video controller. I have installed Docker Toolbox and managed to get the container to run on my Yosemite host

Answer 1

This question main use case would be to access the applications running in the container from host(Mac) machine or other machines in the host(Mac) network

Once the container application has been started and exposed as below

docker run -d -p 8080 <<image-name>>

Then find the mapping between the host(Mac) port with container port as below

docker port <<container-name>>
sample output : 8080/tcp -> 0.0.0.0:32771

now access the container application as host(Mac IP):32771 from any machine in your host(Mac) network

Answer 2

OK, so I found a better way to do it than trying to use a bridging network adaptor. I found it in the boot2docker docs on port forwarding.

Just use VBoxManage modifyvm default --natpf1 "my_web,tcp,,8080,,80" or use the VirtualBox GUI to specify your port forwarding for the NAT adaptor.

Then, remove the -p option from your docker run command and use --net=host instead. That is instead of

docker run -d -p 8080:80 --name=web nginx

use

docker run -d --net=host --name=web nginx

And voila! Your web server is available at localhost:8080 on your host or YOURHOSTIP:8080 elsewhere on your LAN.

Note that using --net=host may mess up communication between containers on the VM, but since this is the only container I plan to run, it works great for me.

Answer 3

On a machine with Docker Toolbox for Mac, I'm solving the problem as follows (using the default machine).

Preparation

1. Stop the machine if it's running:

   docker-machine stop default

VirtualBox Setup

2. Open VirtualBox, select the default machine, open Settings (Cmd-S), go to Network, and select "Adapter 3".

3. Check "Enable Network Adapter" (turn it on).

4. Set "Attached to" to "Bridged Adapter".
5. Set Name to "en0: Ethernet" (or whatever is the primary network interface or your Mac).
6. Disclose "Advanced", and make sure "Cable Connected" is checked on.
7. Note the "MAC Address" of "Adapter 3" (we'll use it later).
8. Press "OK" to save the settings.

Docker Setup

9. Now, back in Terminal, start the machine:

   docker-machine start default

10. Just in case, regenerate the certs:

    docker-machine regenerate-certs default

11. Update the environment:

    eval $(docker-machine env default)

At this point, the machine should be running (with the default IP address of 192.168.99.100, accessible only from the hosting Mac). However, if you ssh into the docker VM (docker-machine ssh default) and run ifconfig -a, you'll see that one of the VM's interfaces (eth0 in my case) has an IP in the same network as your Mac (e.g. 192.168.0.102), which is accessible from other devices on your LAN.

Router Setup

Now, the last step is to make sure this address is fixed, and not changed from time to time by your router's DHCP. This may differ from router to router, the following applies to my no-frills TP-LINK router, but should be easily adjustable to other makes and models.

12. Open your router settings, and first check that default is in the router's DHCP Clients List, with the MAC address from step 7 above.

13. Open "DHCP" > "Address Reservation" in the router settings, and add the "Adapter 3" MAC Address (you may have to insert the missing dashes), and your desired IP there (e.g. 192.168.0.201).

14. Now my router asks me to reboot it. After the reboot, run docker-machine restart default for the Docker VM to pick up its new IP address.

15. Final verification: docker-machine ssh default, then ifconfig -a, and find your new IP address in the output (this time the interface was eth1).

Result

From the hosting Mac the machine is accessible via two addresses (192.168.99.100 and 192.168.0.201); from other devices in the LAN it's accessible as 192.168.0.201.

Answer 4

This working for me

• with stopped VM add a 3rd "bridge" network
• start the VM with docker-machine start machine-name
• regenerate certs with docker-machine regenerate-certs machine-name

check if ok with docker-machine ls

Answer 5

If I change the first network card from NAT to bridge I also can't connect to it.

What I have found working was to add 3rd network card, set it up to bridge mode and change adapter type to the Intel PRO/1000 MT Desktop (82540EM). The default one is probably not supported by boot2docker distro.

See my comment at github.