SilverStripe CMS

intermediate

Flexible PHP CMS with built-in versioning and workflows.

Overview

SilverStripe is a mature PHP-based content management system originally developed in New Zealand, known for its sophisticated content versioning, built-in workflow capabilities, and developer-friendly ORM. Unlike simpler CMSs, SilverStripe provides enterprise-grade features including draft/published content states, hierarchical page structures, and extensible template systems that make it ideal for complex websites requiring editorial workflows and content governance. This stack combines SilverStripe with MySQL 8.0 to deliver a robust content management platform where MySQL's InnoDB storage engine provides ACID compliance for SilverStripe's versioning system, ensuring data integrity across content revisions and user permissions. The configuration leverages MySQL's JSON data type support for SilverStripe's flexible field storage and MySQL's full-text search capabilities to power the CMS's built-in search functionality. This combination serves organizations that need more than basic blogging capabilities - those requiring sophisticated content workflows, multi-user editorial processes, and the ability to maintain complex content hierarchies with full audit trails and rollback capabilities.

Key Features

Built-in content versioning with draft/published states powered by MySQL's transactional integrity
Hierarchical page structure with unlimited nesting supported by MySQL's recursive queries
Fluent ORM query builder that generates optimized MySQL queries with automatic escaping
Multi-user editorial workflows with approval processes tracked in MySQL audit tables
Template inheritance system with partial caching stored in MySQL for performance
Extensible field types including relations that leverage MySQL's foreign key constraints
Built-in search functionality utilizing MySQL's full-text indexing capabilities
Module system for extending functionality with database schema migrations

Common Use Cases

1Corporate websites requiring editorial approval workflows and content governance
2Educational institutions managing complex course catalogs and faculty information
3Government agencies needing audit trails and content versioning for compliance
4Marketing agencies building client websites with sophisticated content management needs
5E-commerce sites using SilverStripe's flexible product catalog capabilities
6Membership organizations with complex user hierarchies and content permissions
7News and media sites requiring editorial workflows and publishing schedules

Prerequisites

Docker and Docker Compose installed on the host system
Minimum 1GB RAM recommended for MySQL 8.0 optimal performance
Port 80 available on host for SilverStripe web interface
Basic understanding of PHP development and Composer package management
Familiarity with MySQL administration for database maintenance tasks
Understanding of web server concepts and virtual hosting

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  silverstripe: 
3    image: brettt89/silverstripe-web:latest
4    container_name: silverstripe
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    environment: 
7      SS_DATABASE_CLASS: MySQLDatabase
8      SS_DATABASE_SERVER: mysql
9      SS_DATABASE_USERNAME: silverstripe
10      SS_DATABASE_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
11      SS_DATABASE_NAME: silverstripe
12    volumes: 
13      - ./app:/var/www/html
14    ports: 
15      - "80:80"
16    depends_on: 
17      - mysql
18    networks: 
19      - silverstripe-network
20
21  mysql: 
22    image: mysql:8.0
23    container_name: silverstripe-mysql
24    environment: 
25      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${ROOT_PASSWORD}
26      MYSQL_DATABASE: silverstripe
27      MYSQL_USER: silverstripe
28      MYSQL_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
29    volumes: 
30      - mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql
31    networks: 
32      - silverstripe-network
33
34volumes: 
35  mysql_data: 
36
37networks: 
38  silverstripe-network: 
39    driver: bridge

.env Template

.env

1DB_PASSWORD=changeme
2ROOT_PASSWORD=changeme

Usage Notes

1Docs: https://docs.silverstripe.org/
2Create project: composer create-project silverstripe/installer
3Access at http://localhost, admin at /admin
4Built-in versioning, draft/published states
5ORM with fluent query builder
6Workflow module for approval processes

Individual Services(2 services)

Copy individual services to mix and match with your existing compose files.

silverstripe

silverstripe:
  image: brettt89/silverstripe-web:latest
  container_name: silverstripe
  restart: unless-stopped
  environment:
    SS_DATABASE_CLASS: MySQLDatabase
    SS_DATABASE_SERVER: mysql
    SS_DATABASE_USERNAME: silverstripe
    SS_DATABASE_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
    SS_DATABASE_NAME: silverstripe
  volumes:
    - ./app:/var/www/html
  ports:
    - "80:80"
  depends_on:
    - mysql
  networks:
    - silverstripe-network

mysql

mysql:
  image: mysql:8.0
  container_name: silverstripe-mysql
  environment:
    MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${ROOT_PASSWORD}
    MYSQL_DATABASE: silverstripe
    MYSQL_USER: silverstripe
    MYSQL_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
  volumes:
    - mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql
  networks:
    - silverstripe-network

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  silverstripe:
5    image: brettt89/silverstripe-web:latest
6    container_name: silverstripe
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    environment:
9      SS_DATABASE_CLASS: MySQLDatabase
10      SS_DATABASE_SERVER: mysql
11      SS_DATABASE_USERNAME: silverstripe
12      SS_DATABASE_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
13      SS_DATABASE_NAME: silverstripe
14    volumes:
15      - ./app:/var/www/html
16    ports:
17      - "80:80"
18    depends_on:
19      - mysql
20    networks:
21      - silverstripe-network
22
23  mysql:
24    image: mysql:8.0
25    container_name: silverstripe-mysql
26    environment:
27      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${ROOT_PASSWORD}
28      MYSQL_DATABASE: silverstripe
29      MYSQL_USER: silverstripe
30      MYSQL_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
31    volumes:
32      - mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql
33    networks:
34      - silverstripe-network
35
36volumes:
37  mysql_data:
38
39networks:
40  silverstripe-network:
41    driver: bridge
42EOF
43
44# 2. Create the .env file
45cat > .env << 'EOF'
46DB_PASSWORD=changeme
47ROOT_PASSWORD=changeme
48EOF
49
50# 3. Start the services
51docker compose up -d
52
53# 4. View logs
54docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/silverstripe/run | bash

Troubleshooting

SilverStripe shows database connection error: Verify MySQL container is running and DB_PASSWORD environment variable matches between services
Admin interface returns 500 error: Check that ./app directory exists and has proper write permissions for SilverStripe cache and assets
MySQL container fails to start: Ensure mysql_data volume has sufficient disk space and ROOT_PASSWORD is set in environment file
SilverStripe installer loops endlessly: Clear browser cache and ensure database credentials are correct in environment variables
Assets upload fails: Verify ./app/assets directory exists with write permissions for web server user
Module installation fails: Check that Composer cache directory is writable within the silverstripe container

Community Notes

Loading notes...

Download Recipe Kit

Get all files in a ready-to-deploy package

Includes docker-compose.yml, .env template, README, and license

Components

silverstripemysql

Related Recipes

Ad Space

Shortcuts: C CopyF FavoriteD Download