Install Docker Engine on Debian

• Install Docker Engine on Debian
  • Uninstall old versions
  • Install using the apt repository
    • Add Docker's official GPG key
    • Add the repository to Apt sources
  • Install the Docker packages
    • Install the latest version
  • Manage Docker as a non-root user
    • Add user to the docker group
    • Activate the changes to groups
    • Verify that docker can be runned without sudo
  • Configure Docker to start on boot with systemd

Uninstall old versions

for pkg in docker.io docker-doc docker-compose podman-docker containerd runc; \
    do sudo apt remove $pkg;
done

Install using the apt repository

Add Docker's official GPG key

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y \
  ca-certificates \
  curl

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings \
  && sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc \
  && sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Add the repository to Apt sources

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

Install the Docker packages

sudo groupadd \
  -g `id -g $USER` \
  -o \
  docker

Install the latest version

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

Manage Docker as a non-root user

Add user to the docker group

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Activate the changes to groups

newgrp docker

Or just log out and log back in.

Verify that docker can be runned without sudo

docker version

Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:           28.0.1
 API version:       1.48
 Go version:        go1.23.6
 Git commit:        068a01e
 Built:             Wed Feb 26 10:40:57 2025
 OS/Arch:           linux/arm64
 Context:           default

Server: Docker Engine - Community
 Engine:
  Version:          28.0.1
  API version:      1.48 (minimum version 1.24)
  Go version:       go1.23.6
  Git commit:       bbd0a17
  Built:            Wed Feb 26 10:40:57 2025
  OS/Arch:          linux/arm64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          1.7.25
  GitCommit:        bcc810d6b9066471b0b6fa75f557a15a1cbf31bb
 runc:
  Version:          1.2.4
  GitCommit:        v1.2.4-0-g6c52b3f
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

Configure Docker to start on boot with systemd

On Debian, the Docker daemon starts on boot by default.