Docker Desktop Install/Setup for Windows 10

5 min readAug 4, 2020

Introduction

Docker is an open-source, platform-as-a-service (PaaS) product grouping that provides software delivery using virtualization at the system level. Using a container method similar to how folders can hold various types of files, Docker ships bundled software across the wires in a marvelously convenient fashion.

After creating a Docker account and downloading the required software, you will have access to the world’s largest library of container images. Docker is amazingly versatile and compatible with nearly every modern platform, including Kubernetes, AWS, Node.js, MongoDB, and MySQL.

Like many other popular platforms today such as MongoDB and GitHub, Docker provides a downloadable interface known as Docker Desktop. This versatile GUI provides a dashboard similar to the picture below and comes complete with Kubernetes support and an integrated command line. All these features are powered by the Docker Engine, a single kernel which hosts the containers for your entire network and sets a clear advantage over traditional virtual machines.

Installation

I hope you are excited as I was to get these awesome features onto your Windows machine! It takes about fifteen minutes to get Docker Desktop up and running, provided your machine already meets the prerequisites listed below.

System Requirements

Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education (Build 16299 or later)
— 64-bit processor
— 4 GB RAM
— BIOS virtualization enabled
— Hyper-V enabled

Windows 10 Home (Version 2004 and up)
— 64-bit processor
— 4 GB RAM
— BIOS virtualization enabled
— WSL 2 feature enabled

Acquire the Installer

Your journey begins on the Docker website. Here you can signup for Docker Hub or play around with Docker in the sandbox if you wish. You should also see a simple “Download for Windows” option. Click here to get started!

You may have to run the .exe file to start the installer, which will request the necessary permissions and guide you through the rest of the installation process. After closing the installer, you will be ready to start using Docker Desktop.

Setup the Dashboard

Docker Desktop usually does not start on its own; you will need to access the program through the Start menu. Once initialized, you should see a small whale icon in the notifications section of your taskbar. Wait until the icon animation stops and you receive a confirmation message that Docker is running.

You may now right-click the icon and select Dashboard, which will open the interface and present you with a tutorial. Your screen should be similar to the photo above. The tutorial will run you through the four basic steps of using Docker and is a good way to get familiar with using the dashboard.

Clone
Build
Run
Share

You will be provided code snippets that clone a repository from GitHub, build the image in a container, and run the application in your web browser.* Once this is done, you get to share your first Docker Desktop application with the world!

*Note: You may run into an error at the beginning of the run sequence. Don’t panic, there is a troubleshooting section at the bottom of this page to help clear things up.

Docker Desktop install/setup for Windows 10 is now complete. Congratulations!

Pro Tips

Here are some optional steps and troubleshooting tricks to help solidify your successful start with Docker development.

Additional Setup

Turn on Experimental Features in the settings panel to run a Windows PowerShell terminal right in your dashboard.
Create a Docker account so you can access the Docker Hub online and sync your dashboard with the cloud.
Connect your GitHub or BitBucket account to Docker Hub so you can manage your repositories online and with Docker Desktop.
Enable Kubernetes in the settings panel to start a single-node cluster each time you start Docker Desktop.

Troubleshooting

If you are reading this, you have likely encountered the following error —

docker: Error response from daemon: Ports are not available: listen tcp 0.0.0.0:80: bind: An attempt was made to access a socket in a way forbidden by its access permissions.

This error is caused because another program or service is already running on your localhost:80; else it could be a port enabling issue. Your firewall might even be the culprit. If you would rather avoid the tedious process of elimination hunting down a ghost, run the following code in the terminal.

docker run -d -p 81:80 --name docker-tutorial docker101tutorial

By avoiding port 80 altogether and using port 81 instead, the server should start successfully. To be certain, open this link and you should see the following cheery message —

You can now complete the last step of the tutorial by following the prompts in your Docker Desktop application.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this article. Feel free to add suggestions or ask questions in the comments below, and I will get back to you. Thank you for reading, and happy coding!

— killshot13

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