How to Install Docker on Windows

Docker is a containerization platform that enables the development, deployment, and execution of applications in lightweight, portable containers. These containers have everything you require to run a piece of software, including the code, runtime, libraries, and system tools. Docker uses OS-level virtualization to create containers, allowing applications to run consistently across various environments.

In this detailed guide, we will be guiding you on how you can install docker Windows operating system. We will be providing all this guide on Windows 11 but it can be followed on earlier versions as well.

How to Install Docker on Windows

Before following the installation process you should check the system requirement whether it can run easily on your windows which we discussed below.

System Requirement for Windows

• 64-bit Processor
• 4GB System RAM

Other than that, you also need to enable hardware virtualization in BIOS which we will discuss later.

Step 1: Enable WSL Feature

The dism.exe also known as Deployment Image Service and Management Tool is used to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) feature on a Windows operating system. WSL enables users to run a Linux distribution and Windows simultaneously. To enable WSL you can run the following command:

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart

Let’s understand this command in further detail:

• The /online switch indicates that the operation should be performed on the currently running system. 
• The /enable-feature switch is used to enable the specified feature, which is WSL in this case. 
• The /featurename parameter specifies the name of the feature, and /all ensures that the operation applies to all enabled editions of the specified feature. 
• Finally, /norestart prevents an automatic restart of the system, allowing the user to decide when to restart the computer after enabling the WSL feature.

Step 2: Enable Virtual Machine Platform

If you are using WSL 2 or any advanced version of WSL then you need to enable the virtual machine platform.

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

This command is used to enable the “VirtualMachinePlatform” feature in the context of Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2). WSL 2 is an updated version of WSL that includes a full Linux kernel, providing better performance and improved compatibility with certain Linux features.

The “VirtualMachinePlatform” feature is essential for WSL 2 to function, as it enables the underlying virtualization support required to run a Linux kernel alongside the Windows operating system. Therefore, running this command is part of the setup process for WSL 2, allowing you to take advantage of its enhanced capabilities.

This is a necessary step to perform as we will be using WSL 2 for docker in this guide.

Step 3: Installing Docker on Windows

After following the above step now you need to docker desktop Windows. For that, you can open the official docker website and docker windows download.

After that, you need to install the docker by launching the exe file.

This will start the installation process by unpacking files which can be seen below.

After the complete installation, it will ask you to close and log out. This is a necessary step to apply certain changes related to user permissions and group memberships. This is typically required to ensure that the Docker daemon (the background process managing Docker containers) can interact with your user account without any issues.

Next, you need to accept the docker agreement to run docker on Windows.

After that, it will ask you about the docker setting where you can choose “use recommended settings”.

The docker has now been successfully installed and you can use it using your account by signing up. You can also use it as a guest account.

This is how you can install docker on Windows. If you are a Linux user and use CentOS check out our guide on setting up a docker instance on the CentOS Linux operating system.

Purpose of Docker

• Portability: Docker containers ensure consistent performance and behavior across different environments, from development to testing and production. This portability minimizes the “it works on my machine” problem, streamlining the application lifecycle.
• Isolation: Containers isolate applications and their dependencies, preventing conflicts and ensuring that changes to one component do not affect others. This isolation enhances security and stability.
• Efficiency: Docker provides efficient resource utilization by sharing the host OS kernel among multiple containers. This lightweight approach allows for quick startup times and efficient use of system resources.
• Scalability: Docker facilitates easy scaling of applications by allowing the deployment of multiple containers across various hosts. This scalability is particularly beneficial for microservices architectures.
• Collaboration: Docker offers collaboration among development and operations teams. Developers can build containers locally, and operations teams can deploy them consistently across different environments, reducing friction between development and production.

Advantages of Docker

• Consistency: Docker ensures consistent environments across development, testing, and production, reducing the likelihood of errors caused by discrepancies between environments. This uniformity promotes seamless collaboration between development and operations teams, as well as enhances the reliability of software across different stages of the deployment lifecycle.
• Resource Efficiency: Containers share the host OS kernel, resulting in a lower overhead compared to traditional virtual machines. This efficiency allows for more efficient use of resources and faster application deployment. Docker’s lightweight nature optimizes resource utilization and facilitates quicker scaling and adaptation to varying workloads.
• Rapid Deployment: Docker containers can be started and stopped quickly, enabling rapid deployment and scaling of applications. This agility is crucial for modern, dynamic infrastructures. Swift container deployment allows organizations to respond promptly to changing business needs, ensuring an agile and adaptive IT infrastructure.
• Versioning and Rollback: Docker enables versioning of containers, making it easy to roll back to a previous version in case of issues. This version control enhances the reliability and maintainability of applications. With Docker, organizations can implement robust release management practices, ensuring smooth transitions and minimizing downtime during updates.
• Ecosystem and Community: Docker has a vibrant ecosystem with a vast collection of pre-built images and a supportive community. This facilitates the sharing of best practices, troubleshooting, and the adoption of containerization in diverse use cases. The collaborative nature of the Docker community accelerates learning, innovation, and the resolution of challenges in containerized environments.
• Microservices Architecture: Docker is well-suited for microservices-based architectures, allowing developers to build, deploy, and scale individual services independently, fostering agility and resilience. This adaptability promotes the creation of modular, easily maintainable applications that can be scaled horizontally to meet evolving business requirements.

Conclusion

This guide provides a step-by-step process docker for Windows tutorial, specifically used for Windows 11 but applicable to earlier versions as well. This guide also covers the system requirements, enabling key features such as WSL and Virtual Machine Platform, and the actual Docker installation.

Docker is well known for ensuring application portability, isolation, efficiency, and scalability, and enabling collaboration between development and operations teams. Docker is a helpful tool in modern software development for a few reasons. It helps keep everything the same in different environments, which is good for consistency. Docker also uses resources efficiently and helps with keeping track of different versions of software.

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