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 “package” 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.

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Architecture Context

Choose self-managed Docker Engine when you need full control over container runtime configuration, storage drivers, and network plugins. Amazon ECS, Google Cloud Run, or Azure Container Instances provide managed alternatives that eliminate host-level maintenance. Self-managed Docker is justified when you need custom runtime configuration, on-premises deployment, or want to avoid cloud vendor lock-in at the container runtime layer.

IMPORTANT

OpenSSH 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:

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sudo apt install openssh-server

NOTE

To connect to the server from a Windows system, you can use tools like PuTTY or MobaXterm.

NOTE

This 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:

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curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh

Now let’s start the Docker Engine and Docker Compose installation using the command:

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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:

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docker version

Next, you need to make sure the Docker Compose is installed correctly. To do this, you need to run the command:

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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 “docker” group to run the Docker Engine without having to use “sudo”.

Add the user “ubuntu” to the “docker” group using the command:

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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.