How to Install and Use Docker on Ubuntu

Docker is a powerful containerization platform that simplifies application deployment and management by packaging them with their dependencies. It allows developers and system administrators to create lightweight, portable, and consistent environments.

In this guide, we will walk you through installing Docker on Ubuntu 24.04 and show you how to use it to run containers.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following:

• A system running Ubuntu 24.04
• A user account with sudo privileges
• An active internet connection

Step 1: Update the System

Before installing Docker, update the package lists and upgrade existing packages:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y

This ensures that all software on your system is up to date.

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Docker requires a few additional packages to function properly. Install them using:

sudo apt-get install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

These packages help in managing secure connections and fetching necessary repositories.

Step 3: Add Docker’s Official GPG Key

Docker is not included in the default Ubuntu repositories, so we need to add its official GPG key for verification:

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

This step ensures that the Docker packages we install are authentic and secure.

Step 4: Add the Docker Repository

Now, add the Docker repository to your system’s package sources:

echo \
  "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
  $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}") stable" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

After adding the repository, update the package list:

sudo apt-get update

Step 5: Install Docker Engine

Now, install Docker and its related components:

sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Once the installation is complete, check the Docker version to verify:

docker --version

This should output something like:

Docker version 28.0.1, build 068a01e

Step 6: Start and Enable Docker

Ensure that Docker is running and enable it to start on boot:

sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

To verify that Docker is running, use:

sudo systemctl status docker

You should see an output indicating that Docker is active and running if everything is correct.

Step 7: Add Your User to the Docker Group (Optional)

By default, running Docker commands requires sudo privileges. To allow your user to run Docker without sudo, add it to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Step 8: Basic Docker Commands

Now that Docker is installed, let’s explore some basic commands.

Check the Installed Docker Version

docker –version

List Running Containers

docker ps

List All Containers (Including Stopped Ones)

docker ps -a

Run a Test Container

docker run hello-world

Pull an Image from the Docker Hub

docker pull ubuntu

Run a Container in Interactive Mode

docker run -it ubuntu /bin/bash

Stop a Running Container

docker stop <container_id>

Remove a Stopped Container

docker rm <container_id>

Remove an Image

docker rmi <image_id>

Remove All Unused Images, Containers, and Networks

docker system prune -a

Uninstalling Docker (If Needed)

If you ever need to uninstall Docker, use the following command:

sudo apt remove -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

To remove all Docker data, including images and containers, run:

sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker