Service containers generally expose environment variables to customize service startup such as default usernames, passwords and ports. Please see the official image documentation to learn more.
```diff
services:
database:
image: mysql
+ environment:
+ - MYSQL_DATABASE=test
+ - MYSQL_ALLOW_EMPTY_PASSWORD=yes
cache:
image: redis
```
## Detachment
Service and long running containers can also be included in the pipeline section of the configuration using the detach parameter without blocking other steps. This should be used when explicit control over startup order is required.
```diff
pipeline:
build:
image: golang
commands:
- go build
- go test
database:
image: redis
+ detach: true
test:
image: golang
commands:
- go test
```
Containers from detached steps will terminate when the pipeline ends.
## Initialization
Service containers require time to initialize and begin to accept connections. If you are unable to connect to a service you may need to wait a few seconds or implement a backoff.