# Installing SonarQube from the Docker image

SonarQube docker images support running both on the `amd64` architecture and on `arm64`-based Apple Silicon.

We recommend using [Docker Engine](https://docs.docker.com/engine/) version 20.10 and above.

Follow these steps for your first installation:

## Create volumes to persist data <a href="#create-volumes" id="create-volumes"></a>

Creating the following volumes helps prevent the loss of information when updating to a new version or upgrading to a higher edition:

* * `sonarqube_data`: contains data files, such as Elasticsearch indexes.
  * `sonarqube_logs`: contains SonarQube logs about access, web process, CE process, and Elasticsearch.
  * `sonarqube_extensions`: will contain any plugins you install and the Oracle JDBC driver if necessary.

Create the volumes with the following commands:

```css-79elbk
$> docker volume create --name sonarqube_data
$> docker volume create --name sonarqube_logs
$> docker volume create --name sonarqube_extensions
```

{% hint style="warning" %}
Make sure you’re using [**volumes**](https://docs.docker.com/storage/volumes/) as shown with the above commands, and not [**bind mounts**](https://docs.docker.com/storage/bind-mounts/). Using bind mounts prevents plugins from populating correctly.
{% endhint %}

## Add the JDBC driver (if using an Oracle database) <a href="#add-jdbc-driver" id="add-jdbc-driver"></a>

Drivers for supported databases (except Oracle) are already provided. If you’re using an Oracle database, you need to add the JDBC driver to the `sonar_extensions` volume. To do this:

a. Start the SonarQube container with the embedded H2 database:

```css-79elbk
$ docker run --rm \
    -p 9000:9000 \
    -v sonarqube_extensions:/opt/sonarqube/extensions \
    <image_name>
```

b. Exit once SonarQube has started properly.

c. Copy the Oracle JDBC driver into `sonarqube_extensions/jdbc-driver/oracle`.

## Start the SonarQube container <a href="#start-container" id="start-container"></a>

Start the SonarQube container:

* either from the command line (docker run) or
* from a configuration file (docker compose).

For docker-based setups, environment variables supersede all parameters that were provided with properties. See [environment-variables](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/10.4/setup-and-upgrade/configure-and-operate-a-server/environment-variables "mention") for more details.

There is more information about installing and updating SonarQube plugins inside your Docker volume found on the [install-a-plugin](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/10.4/setup-and-upgrade/install-a-plugin "mention") page.

### Starting the container by using docker run <a href="#starting-the-container-by-using-docker-run" id="starting-the-container-by-using-docker-run"></a>

Run the image with your database properties defined using the `-e` environment variable flag:

```css-79elbk
$> docker run -d --name sonarqube \
    -p 9000:9000 \
    -e SONAR_JDBC_URL=... \
    -e SONAR_JDBC_USERNAME=... \
    -e SONAR_JDBC_PASSWORD=... \
    -v sonarqube_data:/opt/sonarqube/data \
    -v sonarqube_extensions:/opt/sonarqube/extensions \
    -v sonarqube_logs:/opt/sonarqube/logs \
    <image_name>
```

### Starting the container by using Docker compose <a href="#starting-the-container-by-using-docker-compose" id="starting-the-container-by-using-docker-compose"></a>

{% hint style="info" %}
Unless you intend to delete the database and start new when running your image ,be careful not to use `-v` to `docker-compose down` and, be careful when running commands like `docker system prune` or `docker volume prune`; regardless if you use an `external: true` parameter, your database volumes will not persist beyond the initial startup and shutdown of SonarQube.
{% endhint %}

If you’re using [Docker Compose](https://docs.docker.com/compose/), use the following example as a reference when configuring your `.yml` file. Click the heading below to expand the `.yml` file.

{% hint style="info" %}
The example below will use the latest version of the SonarQube Docker image. If want to use the LTS version of SonarQube, you need to update the example with the `sonarqube:lts-community` image tag.
{% endhint %}

<details>

<summary>Docker Compose .yml file example</summary>

```css-79elbk
version: "3"

services:
  sonarqube:
    image: sonarqube:community
    depends_on:
      - db
    environment:
      SONAR_JDBC_URL: jdbc:postgresql://db:5432/sonar
      SONAR_JDBC_USERNAME: sonar
      SONAR_JDBC_PASSWORD: sonar
    volumes:
      - sonarqube_data:/opt/sonarqube/data
      - sonarqube_extensions:/opt/sonarqube/extensions
      - sonarqube_logs:/opt/sonarqube/logs
    ports:
      - "9000:9000"
  db:
    image: postgres:12
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: sonar
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: sonar
    volumes:
      - postgresql:/var/lib/postgresql
      - postgresql_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  sonarqube_data:
  sonarqube_extensions:
  sonarqube_logs:
  postgresql:
  postgresql_data:
```

</details>