Random container names when building from the same docker-compose file

Question

I have the following docker-compose.yml file:

version: '2'
services:
    php-apache:
        image: reynierpm/php55-dev
        ports:
            - "80:80"
        environment:
            PHP_ERROR_REPORTING: 'E_ALL & ~E_DEPRECATED & ~E_NOTICE'
        volumes:
            - ~/data:/data

Each time I run the following command docker-compose up -d it creates a container with the same name all the time as for example php55devwork_php-apache_1 which is the folder where the file is plus the service name. Ex:

[rperez@dev php55-dev-work] $ tree
.
├── composer.json
├── docker-compose.yml
├── Dockerfile

Is there any way to change this name randomly? Now I want to test a different application in the same container but another instance and the only solution I have is to copy the content in another folder.

What would be the best solution?

Answer 1

Since there is a container_name: that you can add to your docker-compose.yml (since PR 1711), one possible workaround would be to:

• use your current docker-compose.yml as a template: copy it and add a random container name in a new container_name: xxx directive.
• run your docker compose up on that temporary docker-compose.yml.