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A Dokku MySQL container stuck in restarting is not failing because Dokku needs more retries. The MySQL process is exiting, and Docker is applying Dokku’s default on-failure policy, which retries a non-zero exit up to 10 times. Capture the first fatal log line before changing configuration, images, or volumes; that line usually identifies the repair path.
Use dokku mysql:logs <service> alongside Docker’s container state, protect the persistent volume, then apply the smallest fix that matches the error. The commands below follow the lifecycle documented by the dokku-mysql plugin and Dokku’s process-management documentation.
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What a Dokku MySQL restart loop means
Dokku runs MySQL as a service container. When the MySQL server process exits with an error, Docker marks the container stopped and the restart policy starts it again. If the same startup condition remains, the cycle repeats. The retry policy controls how often Docker tries; it does not repair the database, change a bad option, restore a missing file, or make more disk space.
Dokku’s current process-management documentation says that, by default, containers exiting with a non-zero status are automatically restarted up to 10 times through Docker’s on-failure policy. That limit explains why a service can appear to be continuously restarting, but it is not a diagnosis. Treat the first fatal MySQL message as the primary evidence.
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Before changing anything: capture the failure
Do not begin with repeated mysql:restart commands, an image upgrade, or volume deletion. First identify the service and record enough state to compare the failed and recovered container.
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List the MySQL services
Run:
dokku mysql:listUse the exact service name shown by this command in every subsequent command. A common mistake is troubleshooting an application name instead of the MySQL service name.
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Record Dokku’s view and the service log
dokku mysql:info <service> dokku mysql:logs <service>Save the output, especially the first fatal line, the exit status, image information, mounts, network details, and any recent configuration changes. The plugin’s command reference documents
mysql:infoandmysql:logs, along with the other lifecycle commands used later in this guide. -
Inspect Docker’s container state
docker ps -a docker inspect <container>docker ps -ashows whether the container is exited, repeatedly restarting, or running under a different name than expected. Indocker inspect, check the exit code, restart-policy settings, image, environment, mounts, networks, and Docker options. If the service name does not reveal the container name, use the names and labels displayed bydocker ps -a. -
Pause the loop only after collecting evidence
If rapid restarts make the error unreadable, stop the service after the logs and inspection data are saved:
dokku mysql:stop <service>Stopping prevents another attempt from overwriting the useful context. It does not repair the cause, and it makes the database unavailable until you start it again.
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Dokku’s troubleshooting guidance also recommends examining container state and logs rather than guessing at a fix; use the official troubleshooting documentation when the Docker output points to a host-level issue.
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Protect the database before destructive work
A container is replaceable; the persistent data volume is the asset that must be preserved. Before deleting a container, reinitializing a data directory, or changing image versions, confirm where the service stores its data and make a host-level backup of that volume.
Export through the plugin when MySQL still accepts connections
If the server stays up long enough to accept a client connection, create a logical export with the plugin:
dokku mysql:export <service> > service-backup.sqlThe exact export behavior and options are defined by the installed plugin version, so consult its command documentation if your installation requires a filename, database selection, or authentication option. An export is useful only if it completes successfully; check the command’s exit status and file size before proceeding.
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Use docker inspect to identify the host path or named volume in the container’s Mounts section. Copy that data to separate storage while the service is stopped or otherwise quiescent. A logical export and a volume-level backup protect against different failure modes, so retaining both is preferable when time and storage allow.
- Do not run a command that removes the named volume or bind-mounted data directory unless you have a verified backup and have deliberately chosen data loss as the outcome.
- Do not initialize an empty MySQL directory over the existing mount. An apparently successful container can then be an empty database.
- Record the current image tag and configuration before an upgrade so you can roll back to the known image and settings.
Classify the first fatal error
Once the evidence is saved, match the first startup failure to one of the categories below. Later warnings can be consequences of the initial error and should not displace it.
Changed environment or MySQL configuration
Messages about unknown variables, invalid options, malformed configuration, missing credentials, or incompatible settings indicate that MySQL is rejecting input before it can start. Compare the service’s current custom environment and configuration with the last known working values. Remove or correct only the offending key, preserving unrelated settings.
Dokku exposes service-level controls for custom environment, image selection, networks, shared memory, and other configuration. Review those values through the plugin and Dokku configuration rather than editing generated container files, which are recreated on lifecycle operations. After correcting a setting, use the lifecycle operation that recreates the container if the setting is applied only during creation.
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Image or image-version change
An image pull, tag change, or upgrade can introduce a different default configuration, data-directory expectation, or required system library. Compare the image recorded by docker inspect with the previous value. If the loop began immediately after an upgrade, restore the previously working image only after confirming that the data directory remains compatible and that a backup exists.
Do not treat dokku mysql:upgrade as a generic restart command. Use the plugin’s documented upgrade path and read its version-specific notes before changing a production data directory.
Filesystem ownership or permissions
Errors such as “permission denied,” inability to create files, or refusal to write the data directory indicate a host mount or ownership problem. Check the mount path from docker inspect, verify that the path exists, and compare its ownership and mode with what the selected MySQL image expects. Correct the host-side ownership or permissions without recursively changing unrelated directories. Preserve the existing files; changing ownership on the wrong path can make recovery harder.
Insufficient disk space or memory
MySQL can exit when the host filesystem is full, when the data volume has no room for temporary or redo files, or when the container is repeatedly killed for lack of memory. Check free space on the filesystem that contains the mounted data directory and inspect host memory and Docker’s reported exit status. Remove only known-safe temporary files, expand storage, or adjust resource limits according to your host policy. A restart cannot create disk space or memory.
InnoDB or data-file corruption
InnoDB recovery errors, invalid page messages, redo-log failures, and checksum failures require a preservation-first approach. Stop the restart loop, keep the original volume untouched, and work from a copy if possible. Prefer restoring a verified export or volume backup. Emergency recovery settings can allow a dump in some incidents, but they can also prevent normal writes and should be chosen only with a rollback plan and an understanding of the MySQL version involved.
Unavailable network or dependency
If logs mention a required network, hostname, or connection endpoint, inspect the container’s network attachments and the Dokku service links. A missing network can result from a changed Docker network, an invalid network name, or a lifecycle operation that did not recreate attachments correctly. Restore the documented network configuration, then recreate the container when necessary. Do not delete unrelated networks to “reset” the service.
Invalid Docker options or shared-memory settings
Options applied during container creation can prevent startup before MySQL emits a useful database-level error. Dokku’s docker-options documentation explains how options are applied during container phases. Check for invalid flags, unsupported runtime options, malformed syntax, or a shared-memory value that the host cannot provide. Remove or correct the single invalid option and recreate the container; a plain restart may leave creation-time settings unchanged.
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Apply the smallest matching fix
After classification, change one layer at a time: configuration, permissions, storage, network, or image. Keep a copy of the original values so you can reverse the change.
When a graceful restart is enough
If you corrected a runtime condition without changing creation-time settings, restart the service through Dokku:
dokku mysql:restart <service>The plugin documents this as a graceful restart of the service container. Watch the logs immediately after the command so you can distinguish a clean startup from another loop.
When the container must be recreated
Changes to an image, network attachment, mount, Docker option, or other creation-time value may require a stop/start or the plugin’s documented upgrade path:
dokku mysql:stop <service> dokku mysql:start <service>Use this only after verifying the persistent volume and backup. Stopping and starting should retain the service volume when configured correctly, but deleting or reinitializing that volume is a separate, destructive action.
When an image upgrade is actually required
Run dokku mysql:upgrade only when you have established that the current image is incompatible or unsupported and you have reviewed the plugin’s upgrade procedure. Record the current image, test the replacement against a copy of the data when practical, and plan for downtime. An upgrade is not a remedy for an unknown startup error.
Do not “fix” the symptom by changing retries
Reducing or increasing restart attempts changes observability and downtime, not database health. For Dokku applications, a change to process restart policy requires a subsequent ps:rebuild according to the process-management documentation. That application procedure does not substitute for repairing the MySQL service’s failing process.
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Verify that the service is genuinely recovered
A container that is momentarily running is not proof of recovery. Perform all of these checks:
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Confirm stable service state
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Test an actual database connection
Use the plugin’s client or shell entry point:
dokku mysql:connect <service> dokku mysql:enter <service>Run a harmless query or inspect the expected schemas. A successful shell entry alone does not prove that applications can authenticate or reach the intended database.
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Check application links and generated URLs
Verify that each linked application still references the recovered service and that its generated database URL contains the expected host, port, database, and credentials. Linking or unlinking a service can restart an application, so schedule that check when a brief application interruption is acceptable.
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Review the backup and recovery record
Confirm that the export can be read and that the volume backup corresponds to the repaired service. Record the error, the change that fixed it, and the image and configuration now in use.
Choosing between two possible fixes
When both an in-place repair and container recreation appear viable, compare them explicitly instead of choosing the fastest command.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems| Decision factor | In-place repair | Recreation or upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Data safety | Leaves the existing container and files in place, but may preserve a damaged state. | Can provide a clean runtime, but increases the risk if the wrong volume is attached or initialized. |
| Persistence | Normally retains the current service volume. | Retains data only when the existing volume is explicitly preserved and reattached. |
| Scope | Usually affects the MySQL service only. | May restart linked applications and change network or image behavior. |
| Reversibility | Easy to undo when the original setting is recorded. | Rollback depends on a compatible image and a verified volume or export backup. |
| Downtime | Often limited to a restart, once the cause is corrected. | Requires a planned stop/start and may include upgrade or restore time. |
Prefer the option that preserves a verified export, changes the fewest layers at once, and has a tested rollback.
Common mistakes that prolong the loop
- Restarting without reading logs: every retry produces more noise while the root error remains unchanged.
- Deleting the container and volume together: this can permanently remove the only copy of the database.
- Changing several variables at once: you lose the ability to identify which change worked and which introduced a second failure.
- Assuming a running container means a usable database: authentication, schemas, links, and application URLs still need testing.
- Using an upgrade to repair a configuration error: an image change can add another incompatibility and complicate rollback.
- Editing generated Docker state directly: Dokku lifecycle commands can recreate the container and discard manual edits.
Command reference
| Purpose | Command | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| List services | dokku mysql:list |
You need the exact service name. |
| Inspect service | dokku mysql:info <service> |
You need status, image, or connection details. |
| Read logs | dokku mysql:logs <service> |
You need the first fatal startup message. |
| Export data | dokku mysql:export <service> > service-backup.sql |
The server can still accept connections. |
| Stop or start | dokku mysql:stop <service>dokku mysql:start <service> |
You must pause retries or apply creation-time changes. |
| Restart | dokku mysql:restart <service> |
The underlying runtime issue is already corrected. |
| Connect or enter | dokku mysql:connect <service>dokku mysql:enter <service> |
You are validating a recovered server. |
| Upgrade | dokku mysql:upgrade <service> |
You have confirmed an image or version migration is required. |
Preventing another restart loop
- Schedule and verify regular logical exports plus host-level volume backups.
- Record image tags and configuration before upgrades.
- Monitor host disk space, memory, and the filesystem containing MySQL data.
- Review Docker options and network changes as part of every deployment or host migration.
- Keep a short recovery record with the service name, volume location, backup location, and rollback image.
- Test restoration on a non-production copy so a backup is known to be usable before an incident.
The Bottom Line
Stop treating the restart loop as a retry problem: capture the first fatal log, preserve the volume and exports, fix the specific configuration, storage, image, network, or Docker-option failure, then recreate the container only when that change requires it. Verify a stable service and a real client query before reconnecting applications.
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