How to Install OCA Modules with Docker | A Comprehensive Guide

If you're looking to set up an Odoo server quickly and efficiently, especially to integrate modules from the Odoo Community Association (OCA), leveraging Docker offers significant advantages. This method allows you to "containerize" your Odoo server, isolating it within a virtual environment. This isolation ensures that your Odoo installation does not interfere with other services on your server, providing a clean and robust setup.

The Docker approach is not only practical and quick for testing purposes but also robust enough for full production environments. It simplifies deployment and management, making it an excellent choice for developers and system administrators alike.

This guide provides a basic, step-by-step walkthrough, primarily tailored for Ubuntu OS, but the principles can be easily adapted for MacOS or Windows environments. The methodology is based on practices outlined in Elico-Corp's odoo-docker repository.

Getting Started: Prerequisites and Setup

Before proceeding with the Odoo and OCA module installation, ensure your system meets the following prerequisites:

1. Install Docker and Docker Compose

   You will need both Docker Engine and Docker Compose installed on your system. Docker Engine is essential for running containers, while Docker Compose helps define and run multi-container Docker applications with a single command.

2. Create the Project Directory Structure

   Begin by creating the necessary directories for your Odoo installation. We will assume your base installation directory is named odoo. Navigate into this directory after creation and set up subdirectories for PostgreSQL data, Odoo addons, filestore, and sessions. These volumes will persist your data, ensuring it is not lost when containers are stopped or removed.

   mkdir odoo && cd odoo
   mkdir -p ./volumes/postgres ./volumes/odoo/addons ./volumes/odoo/filestore \
   ./volumes/odoo/sessions

Configuring Your Odoo Environment with Docker Compose

3. Define Your Services in docker-compose.yml

   In your newly created odoo directory, create a file named docker-compose.yml. This file will define the services (PostgreSQL database and Odoo application) that constitute your Odoo environment. The configuration below specifies a PostgreSQL database image and an Odoo 10.0 image, linking them together and mapping local volumes for data persistence. It also sets up environment variables, including a link to an OCA repository for additional modules.

   version: '3.3'
   services:
     postgres:
       image: postgres:9.5
       volumes:
         - ./volumes/postgres:/var/lib/postgresql/data
       environment:
         - POSTGRES_USER=odoo
     odoo:
       image: elicocorp/odoo:10.0
       command: start
       ports:
         - 127.0.0.1:8069:8069
       volumes:
         - ./volumes/odoo/addons:/opt/odoo/additional_addons
         - ./volumes/odoo/filestore:/opt/odoo/data/filestore
         - ./volumes/odoo/sessions:/opt/odoo/data/sessions
       links:
         - postgres:db
       environment:
         - ADDONS_REPO=https://github.com/OCA/business-requirement.git
         - ODOO_DB_USER=odoo

4. Launch Your Odoo Containers

   Once your docker-compose.yml file is configured, navigate to your odoo directory in the terminal and execute the following command. This will download the necessary Docker images, create the services defined in your YAML file, and start them in detached mode (-d), allowing them to run in the background.

   docker-compose up -d odoo

Post-Installation Configuration within Odoo

5. Access Your Odoo Instance

   Open your preferred web browser and navigate to the URL you configured in your docker-compose.yml file. In this specific example, the URL will be http://127.0.0.1:8069. You should be greeted by the Odoo setup page.

6. Create a New Database

   Follow the on-screen prompts to create a new database for your Odoo instance. This is a standard Odoo setup step, where you'll define the database name, master password, and other initial settings.

7. Update the Addons List

   After creating the database and logging into Odoo, you'll need to update the list of available modules. To do this, ensure you are in developer mode (often found in the 'Settings' menu). Then, navigate to the Apps menu and click on Update Apps List. This action will scan the directories configured in your docker-compose.yml (including the OCA repository) for new modules.

8. Install OCA Modules

   With the addons list updated, you can now easily find and install the desired OCA modules. For instance, to install the Business Requirements modules, go to the Apps menu, search for "Business Requirements," and click the 'Install' button next to the module.

Further Customization and Advanced Configurations

Your new Odoo Docker environment offers extensive possibilities for customization. You can enhance its functionality, adjust parameters, change default passwords, and implement more complex configurations by referring to the comprehensive documentation available at the Elico-Corp Odoo Docker repository. This resource provides valuable insights into advanced setups and best practices for managing your containerized Odoo instance.