EasyEngine vs. SlickStack for Nginx / Wordpress
Hello I know that EasyEngine is now using Docker containers after version 4 and I'm wondering if this affects recommended RAM memory or if the server resources are the same as lighter LEMP stack like SlickStack which has no Docker or Bitnami layers?
https://www.linode.com/community/questions/19548/enabling-tmpfs-for-slickstack-fastcgi-cache
On this topic your staff is suggesting 4GB RAM if you want to use SlickStack with TMPFS enabled for Nginx Fastcgi Cache. In other words that would make Nginx cache, Innodb/MySQL, and Redis object cache (transients in Wordpress) all loading from RAM memory I guess, which is theoretically faster.
Well, if you don't want to enable TMPFS for Nginx in SlickStack so is 1GB RAM enough like they said in their website? They are recommending at least like 2GB RAM if you are running WooCommerce.
How do these recommendations compare with EasyEngine + Docker, I'm guessing that will need more RAM than SlickStack or not, even if we talking about default configuration?
And finally is Docker really necessary for me or not? Thanks--
3 Replies
mcivitarese
Linode Staff
Well, if you don't want to enable TMPFS for Nginx in SlickStack so is 1GB RAM enough like they said in their website? They are recommending at least like 2GB RAM if you are running WooCommerce.
If you're not using the configuration that was outlined in the Community Questions site post you linked, you should be okay to follow the recommended requirements from SlickStack.
How do these recommendations compare with EasyEngine + Docker, I'm guessing that will need more RAM than SlickStack or not, even if we talking about default configuration?
I dug into the documentation from EasyEngine and was unable to find any specific hardware requirements for installation. As the latest version of EasyEngine is using Docker, I checked on the recommendations for Linode plans in our Deploying Docker with One-Click Apps guide. The guide advises that a 1GB plan should be sufficient for smaller applications.
With that said, everyones use cases can differ. I would recommend reviewing our How to Choose a Linode Plan guide to see what plan may be the best fit for you. If you ever need more (or less) resources you can resize your Linode at anytime.
And finally is Docker really necessary for me or not?
That's tough to say, and may be up to you to decide. Like any technology, Docker has its advantages and limitations. The following guides may help you in deciding if Docker is something you'll want to use.
An Introduction to Docker
When and Why to Use Docker
However, this may not be something you need to worry about. In terms of how Docker is being used with EasyEngine, their blog post on the v4 stable release confirms that they will be handling the Docker side of things internally.
Docker can use a bit more server resources but it's not a huge difference for some basic WordPress servers. The big question is just if you want to learn Docker or not (EasyEngine requires it).
Also…
On this topic your staff is suggesting 4GB RAM if you want to use SlickStack with TMPFS enabled for Nginx Fastcgi Cache. In other words that would make Nginx cache, Innodb/MySQL, and Redis object cache (transients in Wordpress) all loading from RAM memory I guess, which is theoretically faster.
Well, if you don't want to enable TMPFS for Nginx in SlickStack so is 1GB RAM enough like they said in their website? They are recommending at least like 2GB RAM if you are running WooCommerce.
SlickStack includes a 2GB swapfile for better stability (by default) and 4GB if it detects your server has a lot of RAM available. But as Linode staff recommended you, TMPFS for FastCGI cache purposes should really be for servers with lots of RAM because essentially you are storing all your cache files in memory. In other words, even with the swapfile active you still probably shouldn't be using TMPFS unless your server has a lot of RAM installed.
If interested see the SlickStack tutorial links I shared:
This table needs to be updated…