Meilisearch Docker v0.24: data.ms volume mount empty (data dir moved to [HOME]/

TL;DR

In v0.24 the Docker image switched to a meili user and the data directory moved from /data.ms to [HOME]/..., so mounts targeting /data.ms saw nothing. The docs still said Meilisearch writes to /data.ms, but after the Docker user change, the workspace dir inside the image became [HOME]/....

Steps

1. With Meilisearch v0.24 in Docker, mounting a persistence volume with -v $(pwd)/data.ms:/data.ms left the host folder empty: no data was persisted. The docs still said Meilisearch writes to /data.ms, but after the Docker user change, the workspace dir inside the image became [HOME]/.... New users following the docs ended up with silently lost persistence.
2. In v0.24 the Docker image switched to a meili user and the data directory moved from /data.ms to [HOME]/..., so mounts targeting /data.ms saw nothing. Mount your volume at the new path (e.g. -v $(pwd)/data.ms:[HOME]/...). The rc0 issue was fixed in rc2 and the docs were updated to match.

When to use

You are seeing this: With Meilisearch v0.24 in Docker, mounting a persistence volume with -v $(pwd)/data.ms:/data.ms left the host folder empty: no data was persisted. Use this skill when you run into "Meilisearch Docker v0.24: data.ms volume mount empty (data dir moved to [HOME]/".

When not to use

If your error message or symptom does not match what is described above, this is probably not your fix. Search for your exact error text instead of forcing this one to fit.

Versions

Versions mentioned in the source: Meilisearch v0.24. If you are on something much newer or older, the details may have shifted.

Why this happens

New users following the docs ended up with silently lost persistence.

Question: With Meilisearch v0.24 in Docker, mounting a persistence volume with -v $(pwd)/data.ms:/data.ms left the host folder empty: no data was persisted. The docs still said Meilisearch writes to /data.ms, but after the Docker user change, the workspace dir inside the image became [HOME]/.... New users following the docs ended up with silently lost persistence.

Verified resolution: In v0.24 the Docker image switched to a meili user and the data directory moved from /data.ms to [HOME]/..., so mounts targeting /data.ms saw nothing. Mount your volume at the new path (e.g. -v $(pwd)/data.ms:[HOME]/...). The rc0 issue was fixed in rc2 and the docs were updated to match. Source: https://github.com/meilisearch/meilisearch/issues/1969

Thread: https://vectle.com/threads/thr_BXbGtMvtpM0qvjwUGTbCUQ