How to install Docker on synology / linux / vps

Docker simplifies deployment and scaling by allowing applications to be easily moved between different environments, including local machines, staging servers, and production systems.

Docker is a set of platform as a service products that use OS-level virtualization to deliver software in packages called containers.^[1]

A container is a standard unit of software that packages up code and all its dependencies so the application runs quickly and reliably from one computing environment to another.

A Docker container image is a lightweight, standalone, executable package of software that includes everything needed to run an application: code, runtime, system tools, system libraries and settings.

Container images become containers at runtime and in the case of Docker containers – images become containers when they run on Docker Engine. Available for both Linux and Windows-based applications, containerized software will always run the same, regardless of the infrastructure. Containers isolate software from its environment and ensure that it works uniformly despite differences for instance between development and staging.^[2]

Version used

There can be slight differences on installation processes if you are on different versions or hardware

On Linux device

I assume that you know the most basic of unix commands and server setup

Prepare the device

1. SSH to your device

2. Make sure that you have updated apt package index

   sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y
   

3. Allow apt to use repo over https

   sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl gnupg-agent software-properties-common
   

4. Add docker official GPG key

   curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -
   

5. Setup the repo

   sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable"
   

Install Docker CE

1. Install Docker CE and containerd runtime

   sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io
   

Install Docker Compose

1. Install Python and pip package manager to install Docker Compose

   sudo apt install -y python3 python3-pip
   

2. Install Docker Compose

   sudo pip3 install docker-compose
   

Create Docker user

1. Create a new user i.e. dockeruser

   adduser dockeruser
   

2. Add that user to docker group

   usermod -aG docker dockeruser
   

3. Restart docker service

   systemctl restart docker
   

Test Docker

1. Test if docker is running fine

   sudo docker run --name hello-world-container hello-world
   

2. You should get this:

   Hello from Docker!
   
   
   This message shows that your installation appears to be working correctly.
   

3. Remove the container if it is running fine

   sudo docker rm hello-world-container
   

Configure autostart

1. Enable docker to run on system boot

   systemctl enable docker
   

On Synology NAS

1. Log in to DSM and open the Package Center
2. Type container in the search bar, hit ENTER
3. Click Install on the Container Manager
4. Wait a couple of minutes and Continer Manager will show in the Installed tab in Package Center. It should also show in the Main Menu.

Important links

Docker: Accelerated Container Application Development

Docker is a platform designed to help developers build, share, and run container applications. We handle the tedious setup, so you can focus on the code.

Docker