Volume Sync

Copy files from Docker volume to your local folder. Access container files on your host machine without sacrificing performance.

Why Named Volumes?

DAMP uses Docker named volumes instead of bind mounts for better performance on Windows.

Performance Comparison

How It Works

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Docker Named Volume (Source)          │
│   mysite_data                           │
│   - Mounted at /workspace               │
│   - Fast container access               │
│   - Isolated from host filesystem       │
└────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
             │
             │ Sync (One-Way: Volume → Local)
             │
┌────────────▼────────────────────────────┐
│   Local Folder (Destination)            │
│   C:\Users\You\Projects\mysite\         │
│   - .devcontainer/                      │
│   - public/index.php                    │
│   - composer.json                       │
│   - ✅ Can exclude node_modules/        │
│   - ✅ Can exclude vendor/              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

When to Sync

Sync from volume to local when you need:

• ✅ Backup - Copy container files to host for backup
• ✅ View Files - Browse project files locally
• ✅ Git Operations - Commit/push from local folder
• ✅ External Tools - Use local tools on container files
• ✅ Code Review - Share local files without container

Example Scenarios:

# Generated files in container
php artisan make:controller UserController
php artisan make:migration create_posts

# Want to commit to Git locally → Sync from volume

Sync Process

What Gets Synced

Always Included

Core project files:

• ✅ PHP source files (.php)
• ✅ Configuration files (.json, .yaml, .env)
• ✅ Static assets (.css, .js, images)
• ✅ Database migrations and seeds
• ✅ Views and templates
• ✅ Tests
• ✅ Hidden files (.gitignore, .editorconfig)

Optional (Can Exclude)

Large dependency folders:

• 📦 node_modules/ - Node.js packages (often 100MB+)
• 📦 vendor/ - Composer packages (often 50MB+)

npm install     # Regenerate node_modules
composer install # Regenerate vendor

Common Sync Scenarios

Scenario 1: Generated Laravel Files

# Inside DevContainer
php artisan make:controller UserController
php artisan make:model Post -m

# Files created in volume
# Sync from volume → commit them to Git locally

Scenario 2: Daily Backup

# End of coding session
# Sync from volume → local folder backup
# Files safe on host machine

Scenario 3: Code Review

# Need to share code with team
# Sync from volume → local folder
# Push to Git from local machine

Scenario 4: Fast Sync Without Dependencies

# Exclude node_modules and vendor
# Sync only source code (fast!)
# Run npm/composer install locally if needed

Automatic Sync

DAMP automatically syncs in these situations:

1. After Site Creation - Initial sync from volume to local
2. After Laravel Install - Laravel files synced from volume

Troubleshooting

Sync Takes Too Long

Problem: Sync operation hangs or takes several minutes

Solutions:

• Exclude large folders - Uncheck node_modules and vendor
• Close DevContainer before syncing
• Check Docker Desktop is responsive
• First sync is slower (subsequent syncs are faster)

Files Not Appearing After Sync

Problem: Synced but files missing in local folder

Solutions:

1. Verify files exist in container:

   docker run --rm -v mysite_data:/workspace alpine ls /workspace

2. Check exclusions - ensure you didn't exclude needed folders
3. Try syncing again
4. Check DAMP console for errors
5. Restart Docker Desktop

"Volume Not Found" Error

Problem: Sync fails with volume error

Solutions:

1. Verify DevContainer was created
2. Check volume exists:

   docker volume ls | Select-String "mysite"

3. Recreate site if volume missing
4. Check Docker Desktop is running

Sync Excludes Too Much

Problem: Needed files not syncing

Solution: Check your exclusion settings - make sure only node_modules and vendor are excluded, not your source code!

Best Practices

Do's ✅

• Exclude large folders when doing quick syncs
• Sync before committing to ensure Git has latest files
• Close VS Code before syncing (not required, but safer)
• Sync regularly if working exclusively in container
• Backup first before major experiments

Don'ts ❌

• Don't edit synced files locally - Edit in DevContainer for fast I/O
• Don't sync unnecessarily - Only sync when you need local access
• Don't forget exclusions - Skip node_modules and vendor for speed
• Don't rely on sync for version control - Use Git, not sync, for history

Alternative: Bind Mounts

If you prefer direct host access over performance:

Convert to Bind Mount

1. Stop and delete site in DAMP
2. Edit .devcontainer/devcontainer.json:

   {
     "workspaceMount": "source=${localWorkspaceFolder},target=/workspace,type=bind",
     "workspaceFolder": "/workspace"
   }

3. Remove named volume:

   docker volume rm mysite_data

4. Reopen in container

CLI Commands

For advanced users, manually copy from volume to local:

Sync From Volume to Local

# Copy all files
docker run --rm -v mysite_data:/source -v "C:\Projects\mysite:/dest" alpine sh -c "cp -r /source/* /dest/"

Sync Excluding Dependencies

# Copy without node_modules and vendor
docker run --rm -v mysite_data:/source -v "C:\Projects\mysite:/dest" alpine sh -c "
  cd /source && 
  find . -name node_modules -prune -o -name vendor -prune -o -print | 
  cpio -pdm /dest
"

List Volume Contents

docker run --rm -v mysite_data:/workspace alpine ls -la /workspace

Check Volume Size

docker run --rm -v mysite_data:/workspace alpine du -sh /workspace

Learn More