Access to docker container using host name instead of localhost

Question

I am using docker-compose and docker. everything works great. but the only way to access a service from the host machine is by http://localhost:port. i would like to be able to access by using the container name like: http://elastic:9020.

It works well inside the docker. if one container needs to access another i can use the http://elastic:9020 but not from the Host. Of Course that i am exposing the ports and using port mapping and it works using localhost as i said. Docker

UPDATE: I was looking for a native solution without the needs of installing DNS Server or updating the .host file.

Answer 1

There is an OSS project aimed for resolving Docker's hostnames:

mageddo/dns-proxy-server: Solve your DNS hosts from your docker containers, then from your local configuration, then from internet

Main features:

• Solve hostnames from local configuration database
• Solve hostnames from docker containers using docker hostname option or HOSTNAMES env
• Solve hostnames from a list of configured DNS servers(as a proxy) if no answer of two above
• Solve hostnames using wildcards
• Graphic interface to Create/List/Update/Delete A/CNAME records
• Solve host machine IP using host.docker hostname
• Access container by it’s container name / service name
• Specify from which network solve container IP

Howto use:

docker run --rm --hostname dns.mageddo \ -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \ -v /etc/resolv.conf:/etc/resolv.conf \ defreitas/dns-proxy-server