start - Start Environment

Launch your local PrestaShop Enterprise development environment with all required services.

Purpose

The start command initializes and launches your complete local development environment, including web server, database, and all necessary services for PrestaShop development.

When to Use

  • Beginning work session: Start your development environment at the beginning of each work session
  • After configuration changes: Restart environment to apply new configurations
  • After system reboot: Re-launch environment after computer restart
  • Troubleshooting: Restart environment to resolve issues

Prerequisites

Before running the start command:

  1. Docker Running: Docker Desktop/Engine must be running
  2. Project Setup: Complete project setup (auth, config, clone, patch)
  3. Database Dump: Database dump should be available for import
  4. File Permissions: Proper file permissions for web server access

Usage

Basic Start

ps-enterprise start

Options

Flag Short Description Required
--help -h Show command help No

Process

1. Environment Validation

  • Verifies Docker is running and accessible
  • Checks project configuration and setup completeness
  • Validates required files and directories exist

2. Container Preparation

  • Image Management: Pulls required Docker images if needed
  • Network Setup: Creates Docker network for container communication
  • Volume Configuration: Sets up volume mounts for persistent data

3. Service Initialization

  • Database Container: Starts MySQL/MariaDB database server
  • Web Server Container: Launches Apache/Nginx web server
  • PHP Container: Initializes PHP-FPM or mod_php environment

4. Network Configuration

  • Port Mapping: Maps container ports to host system
  • Local URLs: Configures local access URLs
  • SSL/TLS Setup: Sets up SSL certificates for local development (if configured)

Examples

Standard Development Session

# Start your development day
cd my-prestashop-project
ps-enterprise start

# Environment starts up and shows:
# ✓ Docker environment starting
# ✓ Database container started
# ✓ Web server container started
# ✓ Database imported successfully
# ✓ Services health check passed
# ✓ Environment ready at: http://localhost:8080

After System Reboot

# After restarting computer
cd my-prestashop-project

# Docker might need to be started first
# Then start your environment
ps-enterprise start

After Configuration Changes

# Made changes to local configuration
ps-enterprise config
ps-enterprise start

# Environment restarts with new configuration

Access URLs

After successful startup, you can access:

Main Shop

http://localhost:8080

Admin Panel

http://localhost:8080/admin
# Default credentials from your remote environment

Database Management (if phpMyAdmin enabled)

http://localhost:8081

Success Indicators

After successful startup:

✓ Docker environment validated
✓ Container images ready
✓ Database container started (mysql:5.7)
✓ Web server container started (apache:2.4)
✓ Database imported successfully
✓ Services health check passed
✓ Network configuration complete
✓ Environment ready at: http://localhost:8080
✓ Admin panel: http://localhost:8080/admin

Troubleshooting

Docker Not Running

❌ Docker is not running. Please start Docker Desktop.

Solution: Start Docker Desktop/Engine

Port Conflicts

❌ Port 8080 is already in use by another process

Solution:

  1. Find process using port: 
    lsof -i :8080  # macOS/Linux
netstat -ano | findstr :8080  # Windows
  2. Stop conflicting process or configure different port

Insufficient Resources

❌ Container start failed: Not enough memory

Solution:

  1. Check Docker resource allocation in Docker Desktop settings
  2. Close other applications or containers to free memory
  3. Restart Docker Desktop
  4. Try starting environment again

Integration with Other Commands

Typical Workflow

# Complete development session startup
ps-enterprise start    # Start environment
ps-enterprise log      # Monitor logs (in separate terminal)

# During development
ps-enterprise exec "composer install"  # Run commands in container

# End of session
ps-enterprise stop     # shutdown

Health Monitoring

# Check if environment is running
docker ps

# View container logs
docker logs <container_name>

# Monitor resource usage
docker stats
  • stop - Stop the running environment
  • log - Monitor environment logs after starting
  • exec - Execute commands in running containers
  • patch - Must be run before first start
First Run: The first time you run start, it may take several minutes to download Docker images and import the database. Subsequent starts will be much faster.
Pro Tip: Keep Docker Desktop running between development sessions to minimize startup time.
Resource Usage: The local environment uses system resources. Monitor memory and CPU usage, especially on systems with limited resources.