Docker Desktop Setup Guide
Docker Desktop brings containerization to Windows, leveraging the power of WSL 2 for high-performance Linux containers. This allows you to run the same containers on your Windows machine as you would on a Linux server.
1. Prerequisites
Docker Desktop relies on the WSL 2 backend for optimal performance. Before installing, ensure you have completed the WSL setup.
- Requirement: A functional WSL 2 environment.
- Reference: WSL Setup Guide
2. Installation
- Download: Get the installer from Docker Hub.
- Install: Run the installer (
Docker Desktop Installer.exe).- Important: Ensure "Use WSL 2 based engine" is selected during the configuration step.
- Finish: You may be prompted to log out of Windows and log back in to complete the installation.
3. WSL Integration
To use Docker commands (like docker ps or docker compose) directly inside your Ubuntu/Linux terminal, you must enable integration.
- Open the Docker Desktop Dashboard.
- Navigate to Settings (Gear icon) -> Resources -> WSL Integration.
- Check "Enable integration with my default WSL distro".
- Toggle ON for your specific installed distros (e.g.,
Ubuntu). - Click Apply & Restart.
4. Verification
- Open your WSL Terminal (e.g., Ubuntu).
- Run the "Hello World" container to verify the connection to the Docker Daemon:
docker run hello-world - Success: If you see the message "Hello from Docker!", your environment is fully integrated.
5. Next Steps
Now that Docker is running, you can proceed to setting up specific containers or environments within your Linux distribution.