docker-compose is not setting container_name from environment variable

Question

I am working on a docker-compose file, in which I need to specify container_name from an environment variable.

My docker-compose.yml file looks like this:

version: '3.0'
services:
  jenkins:
  environment:
    - INSTANCE_NAME=team_1
  image: my_image
  container_name: container_$INSTANCE_NAME
  ports:
    - "80:80"
  expose:
    - "80"

So, I think, when I run docker-compose up it should create container as name, container_team_1, but instead of that it runs as contaner_

I also tried this thing using .env file, but still, I can not use environment variable in container_name,

although, if I run docker-compose config I can see all variables set like follow,

container_name: container_
environment:
  COMPANY_NAME: team_1

but, Actually it is not attaching in container-name.

Lauri · Accepted Answer · 2017-03-20 09:17:56Z

2

You cannot use environment variables defined in docker-compose.yml to variable substitution.

Docker Compose uses .env by default so it should work when you define in .env file

INSTANCE_NAME=team_1

And then run docker-compose up

answered Mar 20, 2017 at 9:17

Lauri

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2 Comments

Thiago Almeida Over a year ago

Sorry, but variable substitution get values from shell environment variables and not from .env file. From the docker-compose documentation: Compose uses the variable values from the shell environment in which docker-compose is run.

Lauri Over a year ago

"You can set default values for environment variables using a .env file, which Compose will automatically look for. Values set in the shell environment will override those set in the .env file."

Soviut · Accepted Answer · 2020-01-30 06:45:15Z

1

As I can see in variable substitution section of the docker-compose documentation, you will need to set your $INSTANCE_NAME in the shell that is running the docker-compose up, because:

Compose uses the variable values from the shell environment in which docker-compose is run.

First of all, do something like:

export INSTANCE_NAME=my_instance`

and then:

docker-compose up

Best regards.

edited Jan 30, 2020 at 6:45

Soviut

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answered Mar 20, 2017 at 12:44

Thiago Almeida

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