Ubuntu (original) (raw)

Install Docker Desktop on Ubuntu

Docker Desktop terms

Commercial use of Docker Desktop in larger enterprises (more than 250 employees or more than $10 million USD in annual revenue) requires a paid subscription.

This page contains information on how to install, launch and upgrade Docker Desktop on an Ubuntu distribution.

To install Docker Desktop successfully, you must:

Recommended approach to install Docker Desktop on Ubuntu:

  1. Set up Docker's package repository. See step one ofInstall using the apt repository.
  2. Download the latest DEB package. For checksums, see theRelease notes.
  3. Install the package using apt:

    At the end of the installation process, apt displays an error due to installing a downloaded package. You can ignore this error message.
    By default, Docker Desktop is installed at /opt/docker-desktop.

The DEB package includes a post-install script that completes additional setup steps automatically.

The post-install script:

To start Docker Desktop for Linux:

  1. Navigate to the Docker Desktop application in your Gnome/KDE Desktop.
  2. Select Docker Desktop to start Docker.
    The Docker Subscription Service Agreement displays.
  3. Select Accept to continue. Docker Desktop starts after you accept the terms.
    Note that Docker Desktop won't run if you do not agree to the terms. You can choose to accept the terms at a later date by opening Docker Desktop.
    For more information, see Docker Desktop Subscription Service Agreement. It is recommended that you also read the FAQs.

Alternatively, open a terminal and run:

When Docker Desktop starts, it creates a dedicatedcontext that the Docker CLI can use as a target and sets it as the current context in use. This is to avoid a clash with a local Docker Engine that may be running on the Linux host and using the default context. On shutdown, Docker Desktop resets the current context to the previous one.

The Docker Desktop installer updates Docker Compose and the Docker CLI binaries on the host. It installs Docker Compose V2 and gives users the choice to link it as docker-compose from the Settings panel. Docker Desktop installs the new Docker CLI binary that includes cloud-integration capabilities in /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cliand creates a symlink to the classic Docker CLI at /usr/local/bin.

After you’ve successfully installed Docker Desktop, you can check the versions of these binaries by running the following commands:

To enable Docker Desktop to start on sign in, from the Docker menu, selectSettings > General > Start Docker Desktop when you sign in to your computer.

Alternatively, open a terminal and run:

To stop Docker Desktop, select the Docker menu icon to open the Docker menu and select Quit Docker Desktop.

Alternatively, open a terminal and run:

When a new version for Docker Desktop is released, the Docker UI shows a notification. You need to download the new package each time you want to upgrade Docker Desktop and run: