check docker version

Docker is a popular platform used for developing, shipping, and running applications. It’s essential to keep it up to date and for this, knowing your current Docker version is the first step. Let’s walk through the process step by step.

Step 1: Launching the Terminal

To check the Docker version, you first need to open the terminal. On Mac and Linux, search for “Terminal” in your applications and open it. On Windows, you can open the Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Step 2: Enter Docker Command

After launching the terminal, the next step is to use the Docker version checking command. Simply type the following command into your terminal:

docker --version

The ‘—version’ is an argument that tells Docker software to just display the version information.

Step 3: Interpret the Results

Upon pressing enter, Docker will display information about the version installed on your system. The output typically includes the version of Docker you are running, including both the client and server versions if applicable.

For instance, an output may look like this:

Docker version 20.10.0, build 123456

Where ‘20.10.0’ is the Docker version and ‘123456’ represents the build number.

Additional tips

You can also use the detailed ‘version’ command to get more information about the Docker installation. The command is as follows:

docker version

Unlike the ‘—version’ command, ‘version’ provides comprehensive information about Docker components such as API, Go version, OS type and others.

Conclusion

Keeping your Docker software up to date is paramount for the smooth execution of your projects. It’s equally crucial to know how to check your Docker version frequently and accurately. This simple process should help you do just that.