Docker 101: How to install Docker on Ubuntu Server 22.04

Compared to some other solutions, Docker is more user-friendly, offers plenty of GUI applications (so you don't have to always work from the command line), and is supported by Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Also: Docker 101: Why you should be using containers

I've deployed hundreds of applications and services with this tool and found it to be an invaluable component of my everyday workflow. In many cases, deploying the containerized application via Docker is much faster and more reliable than deploying the same app/service manually. 

Ready? Let's get to the installation.

Installing on Ubuntu

1. Add the necessary repository

The first thing to do is log in to your Ubuntu instance and add the necessary repository (as the version of Docker found in the standard repository isn't the latest community edition we want). Once you've logged in, add the official Docker GPG key with the command:

Next, add the official Docker repository:

2. Install the necessary dependencies

We'll next install the required dependencies with the command:

3. Install Docker

Finally, update apt and install Docker with the following commands:

4. Add your user to the Docker group

In order to be able to use Docker without having to invoke it with sudo (which can lead to security issues), you must add your user to the docker group with:

Log out and log back for the changes to take effect. 

Docker is now ready to use on your Ubuntu machine.

Testing the installation

Once Docker is installed, you can verify the installation by issuing the command:

In the output, you should see something like this:

Let's make sure your user can run a Docker command by pulling down the hello-world image with:

If the image successfully pulls, congratulations, Docker is installed and ready to go. Next time around, you'll learn how to deploy your first container with Docker.