Setting up Redmine for Windows

Here’s how to set up Redmine as a container using Docker.

Preparation – Install Docker Desktop for Windows

Learn how to install Docker Desktop for Windows

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「Docker Desktop for Windows」をインストールする手順 (Windows版) | Ai0w.com Dockerのインストーラーをダウンロード ダウンロードページ : Docker Desktop for Windows – Docker公式サイトhttps://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Create a working folder

Create a working folder. 
This time, create a "redmine-docker" folder directly under the C drive. (Directory and folder names are optional.) ）

Create docker-compose.yml

Create a file and save it to your working folder.

services:
  redmine:
    image: redmine:latest
    container_name: redmine
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      REDMINE_DB_MYSQL: db
      REDMINE_DB_DATABASE: redmine
      REDMINE_DB_USERNAME: redmine
      REDMINE_DB_PASSWORD: ＊＊＊＊＊
    volumes:
      - redmine_data:/usr/src/redmine/files

  db:
    image: mysql:5.7
    ports:
      - "3306:3306"
    container_name: redmine-db
    restart: always
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ＊＊＊＊＊
      MYSQL_DATABASE: redmine
      MYSQL_USER: redmine
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: ＊＊＊＊＊
    command:
      --character-set-server=utf8 --collation-server=utf8_general_ci
    volumes:
      - mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql

volumes:
  redmine_data:
  mysql_data:

Please change the password “*****” above to any one.

Launch Redmine container

Navigate to the directory where the docker-compose.yml is located at the command prompt and launch docker-compose.

cd C:\redmine-docker
docker-compose up -d

• -d is started in the background (no logs keep appearing on the screen)
• The first time you download the image, it will take a little time

[+] Running 5/5
 ✔ Network redmine-docker_default        Created                                                                        0.0s
 ✔ Volume "redmine-docker_mysql_data"    Created                                                                        0.0s
 ✔ Volume "redmine-docker_redmine_data"  Created                                                                        0.0s
 ✔ Container redmine-db                  Started                                                                        1.8s
 ✔ Container redmine                     Started    

If you see the above, you’re done.

Access with a browser

Open the following URL in your browser:

http://localhost:3000

If you see the Redmine login screen, you are successful.

Login Information (Initial)

※ You will be asked to change your password after the first login, so please change it.

Customize and save the initial settings as needed.

Start, stop, and log check

About Data Persistence

The following two “volumes” ensure that data is retained even after container deletion:

• mysql_data → MySQL Database
• redmine_data → Redmine internal data, such as attachments

Supplementary Information

• Persistence in Docker is internally /var/lib/docker/volumes/ stored under
• Operating Ring::Remarks on Databases

• MySQL 5.5 – 5.7
  • MySQL 5.6 and later and MariaDB have known issues (#19344, #19395, #17460).
  • Redmine 3.x also supports MySQL 5.0 and 5.1
• PostgreSQL 9.2 or later
  • Set the date format of the database to ISO (the default for PostgreSQL). You can set it in the following SQL statement: ALTER DATABASE "redmine_db" SET datestyle="ISO,MDY";
  • Redmine 3.x also supports PostgreSQL 8.1 through 9.1
• Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or later
  • Redmine 4.0 is not compatible with SQL Server as of December 2018. This is because the library activerecord-sqlserver-adapter that depends on it is not compatible with Rails 5.2
• SQLite 3 (not suitable for production environments accessed by multiple users!)

Quote source: https://redmine.jp/guide/RedmineInstall/#Requirements (as of 4/1/2025)

• Access path to the virtual Linux environment (WSL2) used internally

\\wsl$\docker-desktop\ is the access path to the virtual Linux environment (WSL2) that Docker Desktop uses internally. This is not a “place for users to directly develop work”, but an area for storing Docker system containers and internal files.

Related Paths

Next time and later boot method 1 Start with a command

Go to your project’s directory and run Compose:

cd C:\redmine-docker
docker compose up -d

Access with a browser

Open the following URL in your browser:

http://localhost:3000

If you see the Redmine login screen, you are successful.

How to launch next time and later 2 Start with Docker Desktop

Start the appropriate Containers

Click on the relevant Container

Click on the link.

Official documentation

• Docker Official: Docker Desktop Terms of Use
  https://docs.docker.com/desktop/license/
• Docker official pricing page (compare paid plans)
  https://www.docker.com/pricing/
• Redmine Official Docker Image
  https://hub.docker.com/_/redmine
• Redmine official website (Japanese)
  https://redmine.jp/
• Basic Redmine operations in 5 minutes
  https://redmine.jp/gofun/quick-start/
• Redmine installation instructions
  https://redmine.jp/guide/RedmineInstall

References

• Microsoft Docs – Windows PowerShell
  https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/
• Microsoft Docs – Command Prompt Reference
  https://learn.microsoft.com/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/windows-commands
• Docker Official: About Volumes
  https://docs.docker.com/storage/volumes/
• Docker Desktop + WSL2 Configuration Explained
  https://docs.docker.com/desktop/windows/wsl/