How to Install Docker on Your System (Windows, macOS & Linux)

What is Docker?

Docker is an open-source platform that automates application deployment inside containers.
Containers are lightweight, portable units that package your code, dependencies, and system libraries — ensuring your app runs anywhere.

Think of containers as lightweight virtual machines that start instantly and use fewer resources.

Prerequisites

Before installing Docker, make sure your system meets these requirements:

• 64-bit processor

• 4 GB+ RAM

• Internet connection

• Administrator or root privileges

Installing Docker on Windows

Step 1: Enable WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

Docker Desktop requires WSL 2 backend on Windows.

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install

Once installation completes, restart your system.

Step 2: Download Docker Desktop

Go to the official Docker website:
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Download the Windows Installer (.exe) and run it.

Step 3: Complete Installation

Follow the setup wizard.
Make sure “Use WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V” is selected.

After installation, open Docker Desktop — it will start the Docker engine automatically.

Step 4: Verify Installation

Open a terminal (PowerShell or CMD) and type:

docker --version

You should see something like:

Docker version 27.0.3, build 1234567

Installing Docker on macOS

Step 1: Download Docker Desktop for Mac

Visit:
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Choose the version for your chip:

• Apple Silicon (M1/M2)

• Intel Chip

Step 2: Install Docker

Double-click the .dmg file → drag Docker.app to Applications.

Launch Docker from Applications or Spotlight.

Step 3: Verify Installation

Open Terminal and run:

docker --version

If installed correctly, you’ll see the version number.

Installing Docker on Linux (Ubuntu Example)

Step 1: Uninstall Old Versions

sudo apt remove docker docker-engine docker.io containerd runc

Step 2: Install Dependencies

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

Step 3: Add Docker’s Official GPG Key

sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | \
sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

Step 4: Set up the Docker Repository

echo \
"deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] \
https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | \
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

Step 5: Install Docker Engine

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

Step 6: Verify Installation

sudo docker run hello-world

If you see “Hello from Docker!”, your setup is working perfectly ✅

Post-Installation (Optional)

To use Docker without sudo (Linux):

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

Now you can run:

docker ps

without needing sudo.

Bonus: Install Docker Compose (If Not Included)

Docker Compose lets you run multi-container apps with a single file.

To install manually:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.27.0/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
docker-compose --version

Conclusion

You’ve successfully installed Docker on your system!
Now you can containerize your applications and simplify deployments across different environments.

Next step: Learn how to build and run your first Docker container in our next article — “Creating Your First Docker Image: A Beginner’s Guide”.