Installing Docker on Ubuntu 24.04 Step-by-Step

Quick take: Docker has become an essential tool in modern software development and deployment pipelines.

Installing Docker on Ubuntu 24.04 Step-by-Step

Docker has become an essential tool in modern software development and deployment pipelines. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is one of the most popular Linux distributions for running containerized applications, making it the ideal choice for DevOps engineers and developers looking to leverage Docker's powerful containerization capabilities. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the complete process of installing Docker on Ubuntu 24.04, covering prerequisites, installation methods, configuration, and verification steps.

Whether you are setting up a development environment, preparing a production server, or building a container orchestration platform, understanding how to properly install Docker on Ubuntu 24.04 is a fundamental skill. This article provides detailed instructions that cater to both beginners and experienced IT professionals.

Understanding Docker and System Requirements

What is Docker and Why Use It

Docker is a containerization platform that allows you to package applications with their dependencies into lightweight, portable containers. A container is essentially a standalone package that includes everything needed to run an application: code, runtime, system tools, libraries, and settings. Unlike virtual machines that virtualize the entire operating system, Docker containers share the host OS kernel, making them more efficient in terms of resource consumption and startup time.

The benefits of using Docker include reduced deployment times, consistency across development and production environments, simplified scaling, improved resource utilization, and streamlined microservices architecture implementation. For DevOps teams in Riyadh and across the Middle East, Docker provides a standardized approach to managing applications across different infrastructures.

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Advantages

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Long Term Support) is the latest long-term support version, offering five years of standard support and additional extended security maintenance. This version includes improved package management, updated kernel versions, and better hardware support. LTS versions are ideal for production environments where stability and predictability are paramount.

Ubuntu 24.04 comes with Python 3.12, an updated Linux kernel, and enhanced container support built into the OS. These features make it an excellent choice for running Docker containers in enterprise environments.

System Requirements for Docker Installation

Before installing Docker on Ubuntu 24.04, ensure your system meets the following requirements:

• A 64-bit processor with virtualization support (VT-x for Intel, AMD-V for AMD)
• Minimum 2GB RAM (4GB or more recommended for production)
• At least 20GB free disk space
• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS properly installed and updated
• User account with sudo privileges
• Stable internet connection for downloading Docker packages
• Access to a terminal or SSH connection

To verify your system supports virtualization, run the following command:

grep -E 'vmx|svm' /proc/cpuinfo | head -1

If this command returns output containing "vmx" (Intel) or "svm" (AMD), your processor supports virtualization.

Pre-Installation Steps and System Preparation

Updating the System

The first critical step is updating your Ubuntu system to the latest package versions. This ensures you have the latest security patches and compatibility fixes.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt autoremove -y

Breaking down these commands: apt update refreshes the package index from all repositories, apt upgrade upgrades all installed packages to their newest versions, and apt autoremove removes any unused packages that were dependencies of previously removed packages. The -y flag automatically answers "yes" to prompts, useful for automated deployments.

Installing Prerequisites and Dependencies

Docker requires certain packages to function properly. Install the necessary dependencies:

sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release apt-transport-https software-properties-common

Here is what each package provides:

• ca-certificates: Contains the common CA certificates for SSL/TLS validation
• curl: Command-line tool for downloading files and making HTTP requests
• gnupg: GNU Privacy Guard for verifying cryptographic signatures
• lsb-release: Identifies your Linux distribution and version
• apt-transport-https: Allows apt to retrieve packages over HTTPS
• software-properties-common: Provides scripts for managing software repositories

Removing Old Docker Installations

If you have previously installed Docker on this system using a different method, remove the old installation to avoid conflicts:

sudo apt remove -y docker docker-engine docker.io containerd runc docker-compose

This command ensures a clean slate for the new Docker installation. Even if these packages are not installed, running this command is safe and creates no errors.

Method 1: Installing Docker from Official Docker Repository

Adding Docker's GPG Key

The official Docker repository uses cryptographic signatures to ensure package authenticity. Download and add Docker's GPG key to your system:

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

This command downloads Docker's GPG key and converts it from ASCII armored format to binary format, storing it in the system's keyring directory. The flags used are: -f (fail on server errors), -s (silent mode), -S (show errors), and -L (follow redirects).

Adding Docker Repository

Now add the official Docker repository to your system's package sources:

echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

This command creates a new entry in the APT sources list. Let me break it down: $(lsb_release -cs) automatically detects your Ubuntu codename (noble for Ubuntu 24.04), and signed-by= specifies the GPG key for verifying packages. The stable channel provides the latest stable releases of Docker.

Installing Docker Engine and Related Tools

Update the package index again to include packages from the Docker repository, then install Docker Engine:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

These packages include:

• docker-ce: Docker Community Edition, the main Docker engine
• docker-ce-cli: Command-line interface for Docker
• containerd.io: Container runtime that Docker uses at its core
• docker-buildx-plugin: Extended build capabilities supporting multi-platform builds
• docker-compose-plugin: Modern Docker Compose (V2) for multi-container orchestration

Method 2: Installing Docker Using Convenience Script

When to Use the Convenience Script

Docker provides an official convenience script for quick installation in development and testing environments. While not recommended for production systems, it streamlines the installation process significantly. This method is useful for rapid deployment in non-critical environments, CI/CD pipelines, or initial testing.

Running the Convenience Script

Download and execute Docker's official installation script:

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

Alternatively, you can execute it directly without saving:

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo sh

This script automatically detects your Ubuntu version, adds the Docker repository, and installs all necessary components. It is the fastest method but provides less control over the installation process compared to the repository method.

Uninstalling if Using Convenience Script

If you need to remove Docker installed via the convenience script, use your package manager:

sudo apt remove -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Post-Installation Configuration

Starting and Enabling Docker Service

After installation, Docker runs as a systemd service. Start Docker and enable it to automatically start on system boot:

sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl status docker

The status command displays the current state of the Docker daemon. You should see "Active: active (running)" in the output. The enable command creates necessary symlinks so Docker starts automatically when the system boots.

Configuring User Permissions

By default, Docker requires root privileges. To run Docker commands without using sudo, add your user to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Apply the new group membership without logging out:

newgrp docker

Verify that Docker commands work without sudo:

docker ps

Important security note: Users in the docker group have privileges equivalent to the root user. Only add trusted users to the docker group, and never grant docker group access to untrusted users.

Configuring Docker Daemon

The Docker daemon configuration file controls Docker's behavior. Create or edit the configuration file:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/docker
sudo tee /etc/docker/daemon.json > /dev/null <

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart docker

docker --version
docker version

docker run hello-world

docker info

docker run -it ubuntu:24.04 bash

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest/download/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
docker-compose --version

mkdir -p ~/docker-projects/myapp
cd ~/docker-projects/myapp

cat > app.py << 'EOF'
#!/usr/bin/env python3
import socket
import os

hostname = socket.gethostname()
container_id = os.environ.get('CONTAINER_ID', 'unknown')

print(f"Hello from Docker!")
print(f"Hostname: {hostname}")
print(f"Container ID: {container_id}")
EOF

cat > Dockerfile << 'EOF'
FROM python:3.12-slim

WORKDIR /app

COPY app.py .

ENV CONTAINER_ID=demo-container

ENTRYPOINT ["python3", "app.py"]
EOF

docker build -t myapp:latest .

docker run myapp:latest

docker images

docker ps -a

docker system prune -a

sudo journalctl -u docker --no-pager | tail -50

df -h

sudo apt clean
sudo apt autoclean
sudo apt autoremove

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
exec newgrp docker

docker network ls
docker network inspect bridge

sudo ufw status
sudo ufw allow 2375/tcp
sudo systemctl restart docker

ping 8.8.8.8
nslookup hub.docker.com

sudo tee /etc/docker/daemon.json > /dev/null <

ls -la /var/run/docker.sock

sudo tee /etc/docker/daemon.json > /dev/null <

sudo aa-status | grep docker

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

docker system df

docker container prune
docker image prune
docker volume prune

sudo journalctl -u docker -f

#!/bin/bash
set -e

# Update system
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install prerequisites
sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release apt-transport-https software-properties-common

# Add Docker GPG key
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

# Add Docker repository
echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

# Install Docker
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

# Start Docker
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

# Configure daemon
sudo mkdir -p /etc/docker
sudo tee /etc/docker/daemon.json > /dev/null <<'DAEMON'
{
  "log-driver": "json-file",
  "log-opts": {
    "max-size": "10m",
    "max-file": "3"
  },
  "storage-driver": "overlay2"
}
DAEMON

sudo systemctl restart docker

# Add current user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

echo "Docker installation completed successfully"

chmod +x install-docker.sh
./install-docker.sh