Install Docker & Docker Compose on Ubuntu 24.04

A quick, hands-on setup for KVM root servers. Ideal for running web services in isolation.

Tip: Don't have a suitable server yet? Our KVM root servers with NVMe storage are well suited for Docker deployments.

1. Update the system

Before we start, bring the system up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

2. Add the official Docker repository

Install the required certificates and add Docker's GPG key:

sudo apt install ca-certificates curl gnupg -y
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

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

3. Install Docker

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

4. Test it

Check that Docker is running correctly:

sudo docker run hello-world

Ready for your next project?

Host your Docker containers on dedicated resources with full root access.

View server plans

Next steps with Docker:

Nextcloud with Docker

Run your own cloud on your KVM server.

WireGuard VPN with Docker

Set up your own VPN access in Docker.