Eddie Mitchell’s guide details the process of setting up the Elastic Stack using Docker Compose for local development and testing, focusing on rapid deployment with minimal effort. This first part of a two-part series covers configuring essential components of the Elastic Stack, including Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana, and Beats (ELK-B), with a particular emphasis on using Docker for quick setups and proof-of-concept environments. The article provides detailed instructions on setting up Docker containers, configuring security with certificates, and addresses common troubleshooting issues like virtual memory configuration. It explains the setup of individual components like Elasticsearch and Kibana, emphasizing the importance of security practices even in local environments. Additionally, it covers the use of Metricbeat and Filebeat for monitoring and log ingestion, respectively, using Docker's capabilities to integrate and manage these components efficiently. The tutorial is designed to provide a foundational understanding of establishing a local Elastic Stack environment, serving as a playground for testing Elastic ecosystem features.