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Docker Installation on Windows

Install Docker Engine​

Follow the official manual for installing Docker engine.

Steps to Install​

  1. Install "Containers feature":

    Install-WindowsFeature -Name Containers

  2. Download the static binary archive with the desired version.

  3. Extract the archive in PowerShell:

    Expand-Archive /path/to/<FILE>.zip -DestinationPath $Env:ProgramFiles

  4. Register the service and start the Docker Engine:

    &$Env:ProgramFiles\Docker\dockerd --register-service
    Start-Service docker

  5. Verify that Docker engine is installed correctly:

    docker version
tip

If docker commands don't work, ensure the Docker path is added to the "PATH" environment variable, or use docker.exe commands instead.

Install Docker Compose Plugin​

Follow the manual.

Steps to Install​

  1. Download the latest release:

    Start-BitsTransfer -Source "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.34.0/docker-compose-windows-x86_64.exe" -Destination $Env:ProgramFiles\Docker\docker-compose.exe

  2. Verify installation:

    docker-compose version

Aliases​

Creating aliases for frequently used commands can save time. You need to create a profile.ps1 file in the Windows PowerShell installation location, usually C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0.

info

These aliases provide shortcuts for common Docker operations.

Recommended aliases:

function dps { docker.exe ps --format "table {{.Names}}`t{{.Status}}`t{{.Ports}}" | ForEach-Object { $_ -replace "0.0.0.0:", "" -replace "/tcp", "" -replace ":", "" }}

function dcp { docker-compose pull }
function dcu { docker-compose up -d }
function dcd { docker-compose down }

function dlog { param ($container) docker.exe logs $container }
function dlogt { param ($container) docker.exe logs --tail 1000 $container }

You can use this PowerShell script to create the profile file:

Set-Content -Path "C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\profile.ps1" -Value @'
function dps { docker.exe ps --format "table {{.Names}}`t{{.Status}}`t{{.Ports}}" | ForEach-Object { $_ -replace "0.0.0.0:", "" -replace "/tcp", "" -replace ":", "" }}

function dcp { docker-compose pull }
function dcu { docker-compose up -d }
function dcd { docker-compose down }

function dlog { param ($container) docker.exe logs $container }
function dlogt { param ($container) docker.exe logs --tail 1000 $container }
'@ -Encoding UTF8
warning

Creating the profile file in the system PowerShell location requires administrator privileges.