Appearance

Running FEniCS Inside Docker ​

Once Docker is installed and running, you can start using it to launch a complete FEniCS environment — without manually installing dependencies or configuring the solver. Everything runs inside a container, ready to use the moment it starts.

Step-1: Pull the FEniCS Docker Image ​

First, download the pre-configured FEniCS image we use at Avkalan Labs. Open your terminal (or Cmder if you’re on Windows) and run:

bash
docker pull iitrabhi/fenics_notebook

This command downloads the image named iitrabhi/fenics_notebook, which includes:

  • Ubuntu (base system)
  • FEniCS pre-installed
  • Jupyter Notebook environment
  • Common Python scientific libraries (numpy, meshio, matplotlib, etc.)

Step-2: Run FEniCS in a Container ​

Once the image is pulled, start a new container by running:

bash
docker run -p 8888:8888 -v host_system_path:/root/ -w /root/ iitrabhi/fenics_notebook

Let’s break this down briefly:

  • -p 8888:8888 → maps the container’s Jupyter Notebook port to your local machine
  • -v host_system_path:/root/ → links your local folder (with your code) to the container
  • -w /root/ → sets the working directory inside the container

You’ll need to replace host_system_path with the full path to your local code folder.

For example, if your files are stored in D:\1_codes, then the command becomes:

bash
docker run -p 8888:8888 -v D:\1_codes:/root/ -w /root/ iitrabhi/fenics_notebook

Tip:

  • Avoid spaces in your folder names (use _ instead).
  • If you’re on macOS or Linux, use your normal filesystem path (like /Users/username/Codes).

Step-3: Accessing Jupyter Notebook ​

Once you run the command, Docker will start the container and print a message similar to:

http://127.0.0.1:8888/lab?token=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

alt text

Hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and click on the link — this will open JupyterLab in your browser. You can now start running your FEniCS notebooks directly inside Docker.

Everything — from the Python kernel to the FEniCS solver — runs inside the container, ensuring a clean, reproducible environment.

Step-4: Optional – Automating the Startup ​

To make it easier, you can create a small startup script (optional).

For Windows ​

Create a file named start_fenics.bat and add the line:

bash
docker run -p 8888:8888 -v D:\Codes:/root/ -w /root/ iitrabhi/fenics_notebook

Save it in your project folder and double-click it whenever you want to start your environment.

For macOS/Linux ​

Create a file named start_fenics.sh and add:

bash
#!/bin/bash
docker run -p 8888:8888 -v ~/Codes:/root/ -w /root/ iitrabhi/fenics_notebook

Then make it executable:

bash
chmod +x start_fenics.sh

Run it using:

bash
./start_fenics.sh

You can get a detailed walkthrough on running FEniCS inside Docker from this video:

Summary ​

You’ve now successfully:

  • Pulled the official FEniCS image
  • Started a container with your local code directory
  • Accessed Jupyter Notebook through your browser
  • (Optionally) automated the startup for quick access

With Docker, you can now run your FEniCS simulations in a clean, reproducible, and portable environment — identical across all systems.