How Docker Contexts Transformed My Multi-Environment Workflow

One fine evening, I was working on my project Nixopus. Nixopus is a self-hostable application that puts an end to the chaos of traditional VPS management.. As part of the setup process, I had written a script to automate its deployment across different environments.

The Context of the Problem

Nixopus internally relies on Docker for running and managing its services, so the script had to ensure full and secure access to Docker on the host machine. Here's what it needed to handle across any environment:

1. Verify Docker installation — Check whether Docker was already installed on the server.
2. Install Docker if missing — Make sure to install docker and docker dependencies that are compatible.
3. Version compatibility check — If Docker is already present, compare its version with what Nixopus requires to ensure smooth operation.
4. Generate TLS certificates — Use openssl to create certificates that allow secure connections to Docker over TLS.
5. Configure Docker daemon — Modify the daemon.json file to:
   • Use the generated TLS certificates,
   • Enable secure communication,
   • Bind Docker to the required network interfaces.
6. Validate Docker access — Reload or restart Docker using systemd (or another service manager) and ensure secure remote access works as expected.

The Chaotism Begins

I thought I was doing everything right — but then, one by one, problems began piling up like a stack. Let me walk you through the chaos:

1. Conflicting daemon.json setups
   What if the user already had a daemon.json configured for their own purposes? Should we just go ahead and overwrite it with our custom setup?
   
   At first, I naïvely said “yes.” And that’s when it hit me — we were doomed. Overwriting user configurations without merging or backing them up? A recipe for disaster.

2. No isolation between environments
   
   What if I wanted to install Nixopus on the same machine for both production and staging? Docker doesn't support running two separate daemons bound to different environments by default. Suddenly, our clean setup felt too rigid. I needed some form of isolation that wouldn't require spinning up full-blown VMs or resorting to hacky workarounds.

3. Credential conflicts and confusion
   
   Each environment had its own TLS certs and binding requirements. But trying to manage them manually — keeping track of which certs belonged to which context, ensuring the right IP was exposed — quickly became error-prone. One small mistake and I’d be locked out of Docker, or worse, end up exposing a production port unintentionally.

This is where things spiraled. Each new problem broke my illusion of control and made it clear: we needed a better, more structured way to manage Docker across environments — without losing sanity or safety.

And that’s when Docker contexts entered the scene - like a life saviour

Efficient Chaos Management with Docker Context

Docker Context lets me solve many of the problems I used to face in multi-environment Docker workflows. It brings isolation, simplicity, and clarity to the way I manage local, staging, and production setups.

With Docker Context, I can:

• Isolate environments cleanly
• Use different ports for different daemons
• Configure environment-specific TLS certificates
• Avoid the chaos of switching between shell exports, flags, or config files

And the best part? It’s really easy to use. No messy commands. No juggling environment variables. Just simple CLI instructions:

docker context create production 
docker context use production 
docker context ls

With these, I can switch between environments effortlessly, knowing that each one is securely configured and neatly separated from the rest

Have We Solved Our Docker Daemon Problem Yet?

While Docker Contexts make it easy to switch between different Docker environments from the client side, they don’t solve the problem of running multiple Docker daemons with separate daemon.json configurations. Docker still expects a single, global daemon.json file — there's no built-in way to maintain separate configs for different environments on the same machine

So how did i work around that?

Here’s the trick: instead of trying to juggle multiple daemon.json files, i used systemd service overrides. This allows me to run multiple Docker daemons, each configured with its own port, TLS settings, and data directory — without touching the default config.

With Docker Contexts handling the client-side switching and systemd overrides managing isolated daemon instances, I finally got true multi-environment control — clean, secure, and conflict-free.

What is Nixopus?

Nixopus is a self-hostable application that puts an end to the chaos of traditional VPS management.

Whether you're running multiple environments, deploying Docker containers, managing static sites, or just tinkering with servers for fun — Nixopus gives you a clean, powerful web interface to do it all.

No more memorizing commands, editing obscure config files, or SSH-ing into every box manually. With Nixopus, you can focus on what really matters: building your side project, running your business, or learning infrastructure at your own pace — without the stress.It’s open-source, community-driven, and designed for developers who value clarity, control, and simplicity.

Did You Know About Docker Contexts and This Hack?

Were you already using Docker Contexts or aware of this systemd override trick?

Or how do you usually manage these kinds of multi-environment challenges?

Maybe there’s an even better solution we haven’t thought of yet — and we’d love to hear about it.

At Nixopus, we believe in community-driven development. We're building a powerful, open-source VPS workflow manager — and solving real-world infrastructure pain points together.

If you're passionate about DevOps, automation, or self-hosting, join our community and help shape the future of server management.