Run Shiny App with Docker

Docker Hub
1

Hi community,

at my first steps with Docker I followed tutorial instructions of running an R Shiny App via a Docker container. Building the repository via Docker Hub, creating the image with Docker Toolbox and pushing/pulling it worked.

As recommended I used a reference to the Rocker/Shiny repository, so the code in my image looks like below.
By addressing port 3838 and the ‘/App’ directory the web browser only shows the index of the selected path.
So the container is running, but does not start the app in the Shiny environment.

How can I run the app within the container?
Probably it’s mainly a comprehension issue, but several tries and hours of research always led me to this very same point. Therefore, I’m glad for every hint or further explanation.

#get shiny serves plus tidyverse packages image

FROM rocker/shiny-verse:latest

#system libraries of general use

RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y
sudo
pandoc
pandoc-citeproc
libcurl4-gnutls-dev
libcairo2-dev
libxt-dev
libssl-dev
libssh2-1-dev

#Install R packages that are required

RUN R -e “install.packages(c(‘shinydashboard’,‘shiny’, ‘plotly’, ‘dplyr’, ‘magrittr’))”

#Heatmap related packages

RUN R -e “install.packages(‘gpclib’, type=‘source’)”
RUN R -e “install.packages(‘rgeos’, type=‘source’)”
RUN R -e “install.packages(‘rgdal’, type=‘source’)”

#copy app to image

COPY ./App /srv/shiny-server/App

#When run image and create a container, this container will listen on port 3838

EXPOSE 3838

#allow permission

RUN sudo chown -R shiny:shiny /srv/shiny-server

#run app

CMD [“/usr/bin/shiny-server.sh”]

2

How did you start your container?

According the documentation, your app should be available at http://localhost:3838/x/, where x is a folder inside the containers /srv/shiny-server/ folder. In your case http://localhost:3838/App/

I would suggest to start your own image like this::

docker run -d -p 3838:3838 \
    -v ./App:/srv/shiny-server/App \
    -v ./shinylog/:/var/log/shiny-server/ \
    your-image-name:your-tage

And then check the logs inside the bind you mapped into the logfolder.

3

Hi meyay,
you’re right, but as I have to use the Docker Toolbox instead of Docker Desktop for Windows, the localhost address is not available. I solved this by addressing the docker-machine ip in combination with the port, which is in my case:
http://192.168.99.100:3838/App/
The starting command you suggested is what I applied before, too, and when I’m checking the output by the ‘docker ps’ command, I can see that a container is running. So this seems fine to me.
Could you explain a little bit more what you meant by checking the logs inside the bind? I executed the ‘docker logs’ command and this is what I got:

image
image.png1195×137 6.64 KB

`

4

I was refering to the folder mounted into the container path /var/log/shiny-server/. If you mounted a folder from your host into the container path, you should be able to see the logs in that particular host folder.

Though, I have no idea how toolbox/desktop do things.

5

So after several tries and even more research I found that it might have something to do with the operation system. The one I am using is Windows 10 Home.
On recommendation, I turned off the firewall and changed the Windows password, so that it has no special characters in it. Unfortunately, still the same issue occurs.
Is there someone who experienced the same?