Uninstall Docker from Ubuntu

Uninstalling Docker has two separate parts: removing packages and deciding what to do with local data. First list the installed Docker packages and stop workloads you still need.

dpkg -l | grep -E 'docker|containerd'
sudo systemctl stop docker

Remove the packages using the package manager that installed them. For a Docker repository installation on Ubuntu, Docker documents a package set like this; inspect dpkg -l first if your installation differs:

sudo apt purge docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin docker-ce-rootless-extras

Package removal does not necessarily delete images, containers, and volumes. Docker's data directories commonly include /var/lib/docker and /var/lib/containerd, but deleting them is destructive. Export or back up volumes first, then remove those directories only if a complete data wipe is intended.

Do not mix an old cleanup script with a newer installation. Afterward check command -v docker, service units, and any repository entries. If you plan to reinstall, keep data only when you understand which engine and storage format will reuse it.

Sources

• Docker documentation
• Docker CLI reference