On a supported 64-bit Ubuntu host, Docker’s official apt repository is the maintainable default: add Docker’s signed repository, install Docker Engine and its companion packages, then verify it with sudo docker run hello-world. For a VPS, first confirm the Ubuntu release, architecture, systemd and firewall controls; published container ports can bypass host firewall rules.
Choose an installation method
“Manual installation” can mean several different things. For a repeatable server setup, the apt-repository method below is manual configuration followed by package-managed installation and upgrades. Other options include downloading individual .deb files, installing Ubuntu’s own docker.io package, or using static binaries.
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| Method | Package source and maintenance | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Docker apt repository | Docker’s signed apt repository supplies docker-ce and related packages. Upgrades use apt; a specific package version can be selected when reproducibility matters. |
Recommended default for a package-managed Docker Engine installation. |
Ubuntu docker.io |
Ubuntu package source; Ubuntu describes this as a Canonical-supported package path. Follow Ubuntu’s instructions and do not mix them with Docker CE package assumptions. | When you specifically want Ubuntu’s packaged version and support path. |
Manual .deb packages |
Download release- and architecture-specific Engine, CLI, containerd, Buildx and Compose packages. New files must be downloaded for each upgrade. | When you need direct package-file installation rather than repository-based updates. |
| Static binaries | Install daemon and client binaries directly. Updates are manual, and build-time dependencies do not receive automatic security updates through this route. | Mostly testing or constrained environments, not the ordinary production choice. |
| Convenience script | get.docker.com defaults to latest stable packages and has limited customization. It requires root or sudo. |
Development and testing convenience, not the production default. |
Docker’s official Ubuntu guide lists Ubuntu Resolute 26.04 LTS, Noble 24.04 LTS and Jammy 22.04 LTS, with 64-bit architectures x86_64/amd64, armhf, arm64, s390x and ppc64le/ppc64el. Support lists change, so check Docker’s current Ubuntu installation page for your release and architecture before proceeding.
Install Docker Engine from Docker’s apt repository
1. Remove conflicting packages
If older or alternative container packages are installed, Docker directs users to remove conflicting packages before setting up its repository. Check what is installed, then remove applicable packages such as docker.io, docker-compose, docker-compose-v2, docker-doc, docker-buildx, podman-docker, containerd and runc.
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Removing those packages does not by itself delete stored images, containers, volumes or networks. If you need to preserve existing workloads, understand the package and data impact before proceeding.
2. Configure the signed apt source
Use the commands in Docker’s live Ubuntu guide for the exact current repository configuration. The procedure updates apt, installs ca-certificates and curl, creates /etc/apt/keyrings, downloads Docker’s key to /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc, makes it readable, and creates /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.sources using your Ubuntu codename and machine architecture. The source should use Docker’s stable component and the key via signed-by.
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Because the supported release list and repository instructions can change, copy the commands from Docker’s official Ubuntu guide rather than relying on an old, hard-coded codename or architecture value.
3. Install Engine and companion packages
After adding the source, refresh package metadata and install the packages listed in Docker’s guide:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-pluginThe command installs Docker Engine, its command-line client, containerd, the Buildx plugin and the Compose plugin from Docker’s repository. If you require a pinned version, select the version shown by apt rather than installing an unspecified latest package.
4. Check the service and run a test container
- Check the daemon with
sudo systemctl status docker. - If the service is inactive, start it with
sudo systemctl start docker. - Verify installation with
sudo docker run hello-world.
The hello-world test downloads an image if needed, runs a container, prints a confirmation and exits. On Debian and Ubuntu, Docker documents that the service starts on boot by default.
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Install from individual .deb files instead
Docker also publishes release-specific package files. In the package pool, select your Ubuntu release and architecture, download the Engine, CLI, containerd, Buildx and Compose packages listed for that release, and install the files together with dpkg. Exact filenames and versions change, so use the live package list and procedure in Docker’s Ubuntu installation documentation.
After installation, use the same systemd status check and sudo docker run hello-world verification. Plan upgrades separately: unlike the apt-repository route, this method requires downloading new package files for each upgrade.
What “VPS template” means in practice
A VPS is the host context for the same Docker Engine installation, not a special Docker installation method. No provider-specific template syntax applies universally. Before provisioning, confirm these conditions:
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- You have root or sudo access and outbound access to package repositories and container image registries.
- The host uses systemd if you intend to manage Docker with
systemctl. - You know whether the provider supplies cloud-init or another provisioning system; do not assume it is present or enabled.
- You can control both the VPS provider’s firewall/security group and the Ubuntu host’s firewall.
- You have decided which services, if any, need public DNS and inbound access.
Firewall warning: Docker’s official Ubuntu installation documentation states, “If you use ufw or firewalld to manage firewall settings, be aware that when you expose container ports using Docker, these ports bypass your firewall rules.” Do not publish a service until you have reviewed Docker’s Ubuntu installation guidance, its firewall notes, and your provider’s network controls. Docker documents support for iptables-nft and iptables-legacy; rules created with nft are not supported. For Docker-managed traffic, review iptables-based rules and the DOCKER-USER chain.
Use sudo, the docker group, or rootless mode
By default, Docker commands require sudo. The docker group is empty when created; adding a user to it is a deliberate privilege choice, not a routine convenience setting. Docker warns that membership grants powerful access to the host. See Docker’s Linux post-installation guidance for the group setup and rootless-mode alternatives.
Update or remove Docker
Updates
With Docker’s apt repository, update Docker through the package manager; you can choose a specific package version when version control is important. With individual .deb files, download the new files for each upgrade. Docker describes its convenience script as unsuitable for production environments and intended for development and testing; if you used it, use the package manager for subsequent upgrades rather than rerunning the script as your upgrade routine.
Uninstallation and stored data
Removing Docker packages and repository/key files is separate from deleting Docker data. Images, containers, volumes and custom configuration are not automatically removed by package uninstallation. Deleting /var/lib/docker and /var/lib/containerd is a separate destructive cleanup; confirm you no longer need the data before removing those directories. Follow the removal steps in Docker’s Ubuntu guide.
Quick Recap
Common installation snags
- Unsupported release or architecture: Recheck Docker’s live support list; do not substitute a repository codename based on guesswork.
- Package conflicts: Remove only applicable conflicting packages before installing Docker’s packages, and keep Ubuntu’s
docker.ioroute separate from Docker CE instructions. - Service inactive: Inspect
sudo systemctl status docker; start it withsudo systemctl start dockerif appropriate. - Permission denied without sudo: Use sudo, or make an explicit decision about docker-group access or rootless mode after reading Docker’s post-install guidance.
- Service unreachable from outside the VPS: Check Docker port publishing, host firewall behavior, provider firewall/security-group rules, DNS and the service’s listening address. A host firewall rule alone may not control published container ports.
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