Install Docker

Docker installation is platform-specific. Use Docker Engine on a supported Linux host, or Docker Desktop on macOS and Windows. Do not copy a Linux service command into a Docker Desktop setup.

Choose the right guide

• Docker Engine on Ubuntu
• Docker Desktop on macOS
• Docker Desktop on Windows

Docker Desktop includes the Docker CLI, Engine, and Compose. A Linux Engine installation normally uses the distribution's service manager and can install the Compose plugin separately. Check the supported operating-system release and architecture in the current vendor guide; those requirements change.

Verify the installation

docker version
docker run --rm hello-world

docker version reports client and server information. If the client is missing, restart the terminal and check command -v docker. If the client cannot connect to the server, start Docker Desktop or the Linux service and inspect docker context show.

On Linux, decide whether you will use sudo, the documented docker group, or rootless mode. Group access is high privilege. On every platform, review exposed ports, image sources, resource limits, and local data before using Docker for a real workload.

Sources

• Docker documentation
• Docker Engine installation
• Docker Desktop