How to Install Docker and Portainer on Linux Ubuntu/Debian

Introduction

Before we dive into commands and configurations, let’s take a moment to understand what we’re about to set up. Docker is an open-source containerization platform that packages applications together with all their dependencies into lightweight containers. These containers run consistently across different environments, eliminating the infamous “it works on my machine” problem.

Portainer, on the other hand, is a web-based management tool that makes working with Docker much easier. Instead of typing long and sometimes cryptic CLI commands, you can manage containers, images, networks, and volumes through an intuitive web interface.

Installing Docker from its official repository ensures that you always have the latest stable version, better security patches, and up-to-date features. In this guide, we will:

• Install Docker from the official repository on Ubuntu/Debian.
• Deploy Portainer CE using a docker-compose.yml file.
• Configure the system for better security and maintainability.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have:

• A server or VPS running Ubuntu or Debian
• Root access or a user account with sudo privileges.
• A stable internet connection to download packages and Docker images.

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Installing Docker from the Official Repository

Remove any old Docker versions

If you have an older version of Docker installed (from your OS repository), let’s remove it to avoid conflicts:

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

Update the system and install dependencies

Before adding Docker’s repository, it’s a good idea to ensure your system is up-to-date and has the necessary packages for secure downloads:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release -y

Add Docker’s official GPG key

This step ensures that the packages you install are authentic and come from Docker’s trusted source:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/$(. /etc/os-release; echo "$ID")/gpg \
  | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

Add the Docker repository

Now, let’s tell your system where to get the official Docker packages:

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

Install Docker Engine, CLI, and plugins

With the repository set up, we can install Docker and its related components:

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

Verify Docker installation

Finally, let’s check that Docker is working correctly by running a test container:

sudo docker --version

Installing Portainer with docker-compose.yml

Create a directory for Portainer configuration

Let’s keep things organized by creating a dedicated folder for Portainer’s data:

mkdir -p ~/portainer
cd ~/portainer

Create the docker-compose.yml file

Open your favorite text editor and create the following file:

vim docker-compose.yml

Paste the following content into the file:

version: "3.9"

services:
  portainer:
    image: portainer/portainer-ce:latest
    container_name: portainer
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
      - "9443:9443"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - portainer_data:/data

volumes:
  portainer_data:

Start Portainer

From inside the directory containing the docker-compose.yml file, run:

sudo docker compose up -d

Access Portainer Web UI

Open your browser and visit:

https://<server-ip>:9443

When you access it for the first time, you will be prompted to create an admin account. Once logged in, choose Local to connect Portainer to your local Docker environment.

Conclusion

By combining Docker with Portainer, you get a powerful containerization platform paired with an easy-to-use management interface. Installing Docker from the official repository ensures you have the latest stable version and security updates, while deploying Portainer via docker-compose.yml keeps the setup clean and maintainable.

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