How to Install Docker Container Engine on Ubuntu 24.04

Published: 02 Apr, 2026 Last updated: 03 Oct, 2026

Introduction

Docker is a containerization platform that packages software into standardized units called containers. Each container includes everything the software needs to run, including code, system tools, libraries, and settings. Unlike traditional virtual machines, containers share the host operating system kernel, making them lightweight and faster to start. Developers use Docker to build, ship, and run applications consistently across different environments, from local development machines to production servers.

This guide shows you how to install Docker on Ubuntu 24.04.

Prerequisites

Before you start:

• Deploy an Ubuntu 24.04 server or workstation.
• SSH to your server using PuTTY for Windows or Open SSH for Linux and Mac OS.
• Create a non-root user with sudo privileges.

Update Package Information Index

Refresh your system's package list to ensure you get the latest available versions.

$ sudo apt update

Install Prerequisite Packages

Docker requires several system packages to add repositories and handle secure transfers. Install these dependencies before proceeding with the Docker install.

• Install apt-transport-https, a package that allows apt to fetch packages over HTTPS.

  console

  $ sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https
  

• Install ca-certificates, which contains trusted certificate authorities for secure connections.

  console

  $ sudo apt install -y ca-certificates
  

• Install curl, a command-line tool for transferring data from servers.

  console

  $ sudo apt install -y curl
  

• Install gnupg, a free implementation of the OpenPGP standard for secure key management.

  console

  $ sudo apt install -y gnupg
  

• Install lsb-release, a package that provides Linux Standard Base release information.

  console

  $ sudo apt install -y lsb-release
  

Add Docker's Official GPG Key

Docker signs its packages with a GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) key. Adding this key to your system allows apt to verify the authenticity of Docker packages before installing them.

• Download Docker's official GPG key using curl.

  console

  $ sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
  

• Set the correct permissions for the GPG key file.

  console

  $ sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
  

Add Docker Repository

The Docker repository is not included in Ubuntu's default package sources. Add this repository to your system so apt can locate and install Docker packages.

• Add the Docker repository to your apt sources list.

  console

  $ echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
  

• Update the package information index to include the newly added Docker repository.

  console

  $ sudo apt update
  

Install Docker Engine

With the repository configured, you can now install Docker Engine and its core components. The Docker Engine is the underlying container runtime that builds and runs containers.

• Install Docker Engine, the core daemon that manages containers.

  console

  $ sudo apt install -y docker-ce
  

• Install Docker CLI, the command-line tool that communicates with the Docker daemon.

  console

  $ sudo apt install -y docker-ce-cli
  

• Install Containerd, a container runtime that Docker uses to run containers.

  console

  $ sudo apt install -y containerd.io
  

• Install Docker Buildx, a plugin for building container images with advanced features.

  console

  $ sudo apt install -y docker-buildx-plugin
  

• Install Docker Compose, a tool for defining and running multi-container applications.

  console

  $ sudo apt install -y docker-compose-plugin
  

Manage Docker Service

Docker runs as a system service on Ubuntu under the name docker. You can manage this service using specific commands to start, stop, restart, and check the Docker status. These commands ensure your Docker installation runs smoothly and make maintenance easier on your system.

Check Docker Service Status

$ sudo systemctl status docker

Output:

● docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/docker.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Mon 2025-03-10 14:23:45 UTC; 2min 15s ago
   Main PID: 12345 (dockerd)
      Tasks: 8
     Memory: 42.1M
        CPU: 1.234s
     CGroup: /system.slice/docker.service
             └─12345 /usr/bin/dockerd -H fd:// --containerd=/run/containerd/containerd.sock

Press Ctrl + C.

Start Docker Service

$ sudo systemctl start docker

Stop Docker Service

$ sudo systemctl stop docker

Restart Docker Service

$ sudo systemctl restart docker

Enable Docker to Start on Boot

$ sudo systemctl enable docker

Output:

Synchronizing state of docker.service with SysV service script with /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install.
Executing: /usr/lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install enable docker

Verify Docker Installation

After installing Docker, verify that it works correctly by running a test container. The hello-world image downloads from Docker Hub and runs a container that prints a confirmation message.

• Run the hello-world test container.

  console

  $ sudo docker run hello-world
  

  Output:

  Unable to find image 'hello-world:latest' locally
  latest: Pulling from library/hello-world
  c1ec31eb5944: Pull complete
  Digest: sha256:1408fec50309aee4d0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f0f
  Status: Downloaded newer image for hello-world:latest
  
  Hello from Docker!
  This message shows that your installation appears to be working correctly.
  
  To generate this message, Docker took the following steps:
  1. The Docker client contacted the Docker daemon.
  2. The Docker daemon pulled the "hello-world" image from the Docker Hub.
  3. The Docker daemon created a new container from that image which runs the
      executable that produces the output you are currently reading.
  4. The Docker daemon streamed that output to the Docker client, which sent it
      to your terminal.
  
  To try something more ambitious, you can run an Ubuntu container with:
  $ docker run -it ubuntu bash
  
  Share images, automate workflows, and more with a free Docker ID:
  https://hub.docker.com/
  
  For more examples and ideas, visit:
  https://docs.docker.com/get-started/
  

Manage Docker as a Non-Root User

By default, only users with sudo privileges can run Docker commands. Adding your non-root user to the docker group eliminates the need to prefix every Docker command with sudo.

• Add your non-root user to the docker group.

  console

  $ sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
  

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

  console

  $ exit
  

• Verify that your user can run Docker commands without sudo after logging back in, .

  console

  $ docker run hello-world
  

  Output:

  Hello from Docker!
  This message shows that your installation appears to be working correctly.
  

Pull a Container Image

Docker Hub hosts thousands of pre-built container images. Pulling an image downloads it to your local system so you can run containers without an internet connection.

• Pull the Ubuntu container image from Docker Hub.

  console

  $ docker pull ubuntu:22.04
  

  Output:

  22.04: Pulling from library/ubuntu
  5e0b4c7e7a5f: Pull complete
  Digest: sha256:8dce6eb9d8b7e8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b8b
  Status: Downloaded newer image for ubuntu:22.04
  docker.io/library/ubuntu:22.04
  

• List all downloaded images on your system.

  console

  $ docker images
  

  Output:

  REPOSITORY    TAG       IMAGE ID       CREATED       SIZE
  ubuntu        22.04     a1234567890b   2 weeks ago   77.9MB
  hello-world   latest    b9876543210c   5 weeks ago   9.14kB
  

Run a Container Interactively

Running a container interactively gives you direct access to the container's shell. This approach helps you test commands and explore containerized environments.

• Run an Ubuntu container with an interactive terminal session.

  console

  $ docker run -it ubuntu:22.04 /bin/bash
  

  Output:

  root@a1b2c3d4e5f6:/#
  

  Inside the container, you can run any Linux command. The container is isolated from your host system.

• Update the package list inside the container.

  console

  root@a1b2c3d4e5f6:/# apt update
  

  Output:

  Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy InRelease [270 kB]
  Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates InRelease [119 kB]
  ...
  Reading package lists... Done
  

• Exit the container by typing exit or pressing Ctrl + D.

  console

  root@a1b2c3d4e5f6:/# exit
  

  Output:

  exit
  

Conclusion

In this guide, you installed Docker Engine on Ubuntu 24.04 by adding Docker's official repository and using apt to install the core components. You managed the Docker systemd service, verified your install with the hello-world container, configured non-root user access, pulled images from Docker Hub, and ran interactive containers. Now that you have Docker running, consider containerizing your own application by writing a Dockerfile or explore Docker Compose to manage multi-container applications like web servers with databases.