Docker Installation on Ubuntu

This guide covers two methods for installing Docker Engine on Ubuntu systems: the automated script approach and the manual repository configuration.

Method 1: Automated Installation Script

The fastest way to install Docker is using the official convenience script with a mirror for better download speeds:

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o install-docker.sh
sudo sh install-docker.sh --mirror Aliyun

Method 2: Manual Repository Setup

Step 1: Prepare Package Dependencies

Update the package index and install required dependencies:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common gnupg

Step 2: Add Docker GPG Key

Add the official Docker repository key:

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

Note: The apt-key command is deprecated in newer Debian/Ubuntu versions. Modern systems use /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ directory for keyring file management. This deprecation warning does not affect the installation functionality.

Step 3: Configrue Docker Repository

Add the official Docker repository for your Ubuntu release:

echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list

Update the package index and install Docker Engine:

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

Step 4: Verify Installation

Check the installed Docker version:

docker --version

Docker Compose Installatoin

For Docker Engine with Built-in Compose Plugin

Recent Docker Engine versions (v2.29.1+) include the Compose plugin as part of the installation. The plugin is invoked via docker compose (with space) instead of the standalone docker-compose command.

Standalone Compose Binary (Legacy)

For older Docker versions or standalone installation, manual download and install Docker Compose:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/1.29.1/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
docker-compose --version

To download a specific version (e.g., v2.11.2):

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.11.2/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Parameter breakdown:

• $(uname -s) — Returns the operating system name (e.g., Linux)
• $(uname -m) — Returns the system architecture (e.g., x86_64, aarch64)

Post-Installation Steps

Add your user to the Docker group to run Docker without sudo:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Log out and back in for group membership to take effect.

Additional Notes

• Ensure your Ubuntu version is supported (18.04, 20.04, 22.04, or later)
• Verify that hardware virtualization is enabled in BIOS/UEFI if running nested containers
• Configure Docker daemon startup on boot if needed