Volume Sync
Bidirectional sync between Docker volumes and local filesystem
Sync files bidirectionally between Docker named volumes and your local folder.
Why Named Volumes?
DAMP uses Docker named volumes instead of bind mounts for performance on Windows.
Named volumes provide faster file I/O on Windows compared to bind mounts.
How It Works
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Docker Named Volume │
│ - Fast container access │
│ - Isolated from host filesystem │
└────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
│
│ Sync (Bidirectional)
│ ↕
┌────────────▼────────────────────────────┐
│ Local Folder │
│ - Can exclude node_modules/ │
│ - Can exclude vendor/ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘Volume sync is bidirectional - changes sync from local filesystem to named Docker volume and vice versa.
When to Sync
Sync between volume and local when you need to:
- ✅ Backup - Copy container files to host
- ✅ Git Operations - Commit/push from local folder
- ✅ View Files - Browse project files locally
- ✅ Edit Locally - Make changes on local filesystem and sync to container
Work in VS Code DevContainer for speed → Sync to local when you need to commit or backup → Sync to volume when editing locally.
Sync Process
Select Site
Open DAMP and click on the site you want to sync.
Open Volume Sync Tab
Click the "Volume Sync" tab in site details.
Choose Exclusions (Optional)
Toggle folders to exclude from sync:
- node_modules/ - Node.js dependencies (can be large)
- vendor/ - PHP dependencies (can be large)
By default, all project files sync. You can optionally exclude these dependency folders for faster syncing.
Excluding node_modules and vendor makes sync much faster - regenerate with npm install and
composer install.
Click "Sync Volume"
Click the sync button to start bidirectional synchronization. Files will sync between local filesystem and Docker volume.
Verify
Check your local project folder has the updated files.
Automatic Sync
DAMP automatically syncs in these situations:
- After Project Creation - Initial sync between volume and local
- After Laravel Install - Laravel files synced bidirectionally
Troubleshooting
Sync Takes Too Long
Solutions:
- Exclude
node_modulesandvendor - Initial sync may take longer (subsequent syncs are faster)
Files Not Appearing After Sync
Solutions:
- Check exclusions - ensure you didn't exclude needed folders
- Try syncing again
- Check DAMP console for errors
"Volume Not Found" Error
Solutions:
- Verify DevContainer was created
- Check volume exists:
docker volume ls | Select-String "mysite" - Check Docker Desktop is running