Install Docker Engine and Docker Compose on Ubuntu Server

This article is for those looking for a detailed and straightforward guide on installing Docker Engine and Docker Compose on Ubuntu Server.
Docker is a container management system that allows you to โpackageโ an application or website with all its environment and dependencies into a container that you can easily manage. For example, transfer to another server, scale, or update.
IMPORTANTOpenSSH must be installed on the server, and port 22 must be open in order to be able to connect to the server using the SSH protocol.
To install OpenSSH on a server, you can use the command:
sudo apt install openssh-server
NOTETo connect to the server from a Windows system, you can use tools like PuTTY or MobaXterm.
NOTEThis guide walks you through connecting to a server with the iTerm2 terminal emulator on macOS.
We connect to the server on which you plan to install the Docker Engine.
Download the Docker Engine and Docker Compose installation script using the command:
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
Now letโs start the Docker Engine and Docker Compose installation using the command:
sh get-docker.sh
Now you need to make sure the Docker Engine is installed correctly. To do this, you need to run the command:
docker version
Next, you need to make sure the Docker Compose is installed correctly. To do this, you need to run the command:
docker compose version
Based on the received messages, the Docker Engine and Docker Compose are installed correctly.
Next, you can add a user to the โdockerโ group to run the Docker Engine without having to use โsudoโ.
Add the user โubuntuโ to the โdockerโ group using the command:
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
To apply changes you need to log out and log back in again, which will cause your new session to have the proper group.
Patreon Exclusives
๐ Join my Patreon and dive deep into the world of Docker and DevOps with exclusive content tailored for IT enthusiasts and professionals. As your experienced guide, I offer a range of membership tiers designed to suit everyone from newbies to IT experts.
Tools I Personally Trust
If youโre building things, breaking things, and trying to keep your digital life a little saner (like every good DevOps engineer), these are two tools that I trust and use daily:
๐ธ Proton VPN - My shield on the internet. It keeps your Wi-Fi secure, hides your IP, and blocks those creepy trackers. Even if Iโm hacking away on free cafรฉ Wi-Fi, I know Iโm safe.
๐ Proton Pass - My password vault. Proper on-device encryption, 2FA codes, logins, secrets - all mine and only mine. No compromises.
These are partner links - you wonโt pay a cent more, but youโll be supporting DevOps Compass. Thanks a ton - it helps me keep this compass pointing the right way ๐
Gear & Books I Trust
๐ Essential DevOps books
๐ฅ๏ธ Studio streaming & recording kit
๐ก Streaming starter kit
Social Channels
๐ฌ YouTube
๐ฆ X (Twitter)
๐จ Instagram
๐ Mastodon
๐งต Threads
๐ธ Facebook
๐ฆ Bluesky
๐ฅ TikTok
๐ป LinkedIn
๐ฃ daily.dev Squad
โ๏ธ Telegram
๐ GitHub
Community of IT Experts
๐พ Discord
Refill My Coffee Supplies
๐ PayPal
๐ Patreon
๐ฅค BuyMeaCoffee
๐ช Ko-fi
๐ GitHub
โก Telegram Boost
๐ Bitcoin (BTC): bc1q2fq0k2lvdythdrj4ep20metjwnjuf7wccpckxc
๐น Ethereum (ETH): 0x76C936F9366Fad39769CA5285b0Af1d975adacB8
๐ช Binance Coin (BNB): bnb1xnn6gg63lr2dgufngfr0lkq39kz8qltjt2v2g6
๐ Litecoin (LTC): LMGrhx8Jsx73h1pWY9FE8GB46nBytjvz8g
Is this content AI-generated?
No. Every article on this blog is written by me personally, drawing on decades of hands-on IT experience and a genuine passion for technology.
I use AI tools exclusively to help polish grammar and ensure my technical guidance is as clear as possible. However, the core ideas, strategic insights, and step-by-step solutions are entirely my own, born from real-world work.
Because of this human-and-AI partnership, some detection tools might flag this content. You can be confident, though, that the expertise is authentic. My goal is to share road-tested knowledge you can trust.