docker-compose comes to save the day when it comes to how to connect containers. Your Dockerfile will specify which underlying OS is used. Preserve state of your database with data volumes.
Too bad they bundle a version of OpenSSL with known security vulnerabilities that hasn't been fixed in the month since it's been brought to their attention.
docker-compose is no magic, it only maps a YAML file to docker's command arguments. While I think docker-compose is useful in some cases, I strongly advise to not use it at first so you understand how docker actually works.
Once you understand how docker works, using the YAML file can become useful to lighten your load.
agreed, I used a bash script based on glowmachine github repo[1], but switching to docker-compose made everything much easier - as long as you have the knowledge of the docker cli.