In this section, we will guide you through the process of installing Docker on various operating systems. By the end of this module, you will have Docker up and running on your machine, ready to create and manage containers.

Before we begin, ensure you have the following:

• A computer with a supported operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
• Administrative privileges to install software.

1. Download Docker Desktop for Windows:

   • Visit the Docker Desktop for Windows page.
   • Click on the "Download for Windows" button.

2. Install Docker Desktop:

   • Run the downloaded installer.
   • Follow the installation wizard steps.
   • Ensure that the "Install required Windows components for WSL 2" option is checked.

3. Start Docker Desktop:

   • Once the installation is complete, launch Docker Desktop from the Start menu.
   • Docker will start and you will see the Docker icon in the system tray.

4. Verify Installation:

   • Open a Command Prompt or PowerShell window.
   • Run the following command to verify Docker is installed correctly:

     docker --version
     

   • You should see the Docker version information.

1. Download Docker Desktop for Mac:

   • Visit the Docker Desktop for Mac page.
   • Click on the "Download for Mac" button.

2. Install Docker Desktop:

   • Open the downloaded .dmg file.
   • Drag the Docker icon to the Applications folder.

3. Start Docker Desktop:

   • Open Docker from the Applications folder.
   • Docker will start and you will see the Docker icon in the menu bar.

4. Verify Installation:

   • Open a Terminal window.
   • Run the following command to verify Docker is installed correctly:

     docker --version
     

   • You should see the Docker version information.

Docker can be installed on various Linux distributions. Below are the steps for installing Docker on Ubuntu. For other distributions, refer to the official Docker documentation.

1. Update the Package Index:

   • Open a Terminal window.
   • Run the following command to update the package index:

     sudo apt-get update
     

2. Install Required Packages:

   • Run the following command to install required packages:

     sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common
     

3. Add Docker’s Official GPG Key:

   • Run the following command to add Docker’s official GPG key:

     curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -
     

4. Set Up the Docker Repository:

   • Run the following command to set up the Docker repository:

     sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable"
     

5. Install Docker Engine:

   • Update the package index again:

     sudo apt-get update
     

   • Install Docker Engine:

     sudo apt-get install docker-ce
     

6. Verify Installation:

   • Run the following command to verify Docker is installed correctly:

     sudo docker --version
     

   • You should see the Docker version information.

1. Run Docker Without Sudo (Linux Only):

   • If you are on Linux, you may want to run Docker commands without sudo. Add your user to the docker group:

     sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
     

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

2. Test Docker Installation:

   • Run the following command to test Docker:

     docker run hello-world
     

   • You should see a message indicating that Docker is working correctly.

• Docker Daemon Not Running:

  • Ensure that the Docker daemon is running. On Windows and macOS, check the Docker icon in the system tray or menu bar.
  • On Linux, you can start the Docker daemon with:

    sudo systemctl start docker
    

• Permission Denied Errors (Linux):

  • Ensure your user is added to the docker group as mentioned in the post-installation steps.

You have successfully installed Docker on your operating system. In the next module, we will explore Docker's architecture and understand how it works under the hood. This foundational knowledge will help you make the most out of Docker's capabilities.