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How to Install Docker on Ubuntu (26.04 and 24.04)
Install Docker Engine and Docker Compose on Ubuntu the official way, run your first container, use Docker without sudo, and avoid the firewall mistake that exposes most new Docker servers.
Ubuntu 26.04 & 24.04Official Docker repositoryDocker ComposeFirewall warning
Before you start
What you need
- A 64-bit server running Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 or 22.04 LTS.
- A user with
sudoaccess, connected over SSH. - At least 1 GB of RAM; 2 GB or more if you plan to run databases or several containers.
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Remove old versions first
If Ubuntu’s own docker.io package or another unofficial version is installed, remove it so it doesn’t conflict:
for pkg in docker.io docker-doc docker-compose podman-docker containerd runc; do sudo apt remove -y $pkg; doneSteps 1–3
Install Docker from the official repository
These are the steps from Docker’s own documentation. Using Docker’s repository gets you the latest version and updates with apt upgrade.
1. Add Docker’s signing key
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl
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.asc2. Add the Docker repository
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.sources <<EOF
Types: deb
URIs: https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu
Suites: $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}")
Components: stable
Architectures: $(dpkg --print-architecture)
Signed-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
EOF
sudo apt update3. Install Docker and Compose
sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-pluginCheck it works with sudo docker run hello-world. Docker downloads a tiny test image and prints “Hello from Docker!”
Step 4
Run Docker without sudo
Add your user to the docker group, then log out and back in (or run newgrp docker) for it to take effect.
sudo usermod -aG docker $USERMembership of the docker group is effectively root access on the server, so only add users you trust.
The quick way (for testing)
Docker also offers a convenience script that does steps 1–3 for you. Docker recommends it only for test and development servers:
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.shImportant
Docker bypasses UFW: protect your ports
This catches almost everyone. When you publish a port with -p 8080:80, Docker adds its own firewall rules that skip UFW entirely. Your container is reachable from the whole internet, even if ufw status says the port is closed.
Publish only to the server itself
docker run -d -p 127.0.0.1:8080:80 nginxSame thing in docker-compose.yml
ports:
- "127.0.0.1:8080:80"Bind services to 127.0.0.1 and put a reverse proxy such as Nginx or Caddy in front of anything that should be public. Databases should never be published to the internet.
Step 5
Run your first real app with Docker Compose
Docker Compose describes your containers in one file. Create a folder, save this as compose.yaml, and start it with docker compose up -d:
compose.yaml
services:
web:
image: nginx:latest
ports:
- "127.0.0.1:8080:80"
restart: unless-stoppedEveryday Docker commands
docker compose up -d # start
docker compose ps # status
docker compose logs -f # logs
docker compose down # stop
docker system prune # clean upNeed a server?
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FAQ
Docker on Ubuntu questions, answered
Should I install docker.io or docker-ce?
docker-ce from Docker’s own repository is the official, most up-to-date version and is what Docker documents. Ubuntu’s docker.io package works but often lags behind. Do not install both.
How much RAM does Docker need?
Docker itself uses very little. What matters is your containers: 1 GB runs a few small services, while databases, WordPress or several apps are happier with 2 to 4 GB.
Is docker-compose the same as docker compose?
docker compose, with a space, is the current version, installed as a Docker plugin. The older docker-compose command with a hyphen is deprecated, but most compose files work with both.
How do I update Docker?
Because it comes from Docker’s repository, a normal sudo apt update and sudo apt upgrade updates Docker along with the rest of the system.
Why can people reach my container when UFW blocks the port?
Docker writes its own iptables rules that take effect before UFW’s. Bind published ports to 127.0.0.1, or add rules to the DOCKER-USER chain, to keep containers private.
How do I uninstall Docker?
Run sudo apt purge docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin, then delete /var/lib/docker and /var/lib/containerd if you also want to remove all images and data.
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