WHAT IS DOCKER DESKTOP HOW TO
WHAT IS DOCKER DESKTOP FREE

If you are using it for work, and your company exceeds a certain size or revenue, then consider paying for a subscription.

WHAT IS DOCKER DESKTOP FREE

Note that Docker Desktop is only free individuals or for small companies. then perhaps you want to run the docker daemon ( dockerd) in the WSL distro of your choice and be happy.

WHAT IS DOCKER DESKTOP HOW TO

If you came here looking how to get Docker running easily, or if you want Windows containers (still a rarity) out of the box, then Docker Desktop is your friend, and you can go install it now.Д«ut if you, like me, feel that all the added complexity of Docker Desktop is unnecessary, you don't need Windows containers, or you are simply tired of that whale in the system tray taking. Reading about what goes on under the hood is an entertaining and informative endeavor, as well. With Docker Desktop's WSL 2 backend, Docker integrates with Windows in a fairly elegant way, and the docker client can be launched from either Powershell or Linux. If you want Docker to work on Windows and WSL 2, installing Docker Desktop is most likely the way to go. See details regarding the companion Github repo by scrolling to the bottom.ДЄre you sure you don't want Docker Desktop?Д«efore proceeding, let's note that Docker Desktop is amazing. Plenty more nuance and decisions below, of course.

For simplicity, rather than launch a Windows-based Docker client, launch docker inside WSL.

If sharing and privileged access without sudo are desired, configure the docker group to have the same group ID across all WSL instances.

If sharing the Docker daemon between WSL instances is desired, configure it to use a socket stored in the shared /mnt/wsl directory.

Instead of using an init system such as systemd to launch the Docker daemon, launch it by calling dockerd manually.

This article attempts to explore such a process and options along the way.Д¬ontrary to what the length of this article might suggest, getting Docker working on WSL is fairly simple. However, due to both WSL and Docker complexities, a little tender loving care is required to get Docker up and running. Docker works on WSL 2, and without requiring the robust but heavy Docker Desktop if that is undesirable. Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 sports an actual Linux kernel, supporting real Linux containers and Docker. And further emphasis on the optional nature of the /mnt/wsl/shared-docker socket directory. A little more suggestion about TCP access, as well. Updated April 10, 2022, with current Alpine instructions, Debian/Ubuntu package signing tweaks (no more apt-key), and better guidance for handling iptables in Debian.

What is docker desktop