OneBite.Dev - Coding blog in a bite size

set up a docker container

Simple docker step by step how to set up a docker container with explanation

Docker containers are essential for application deployment. Here’s a user-friendly tutorial on setting up this useful tool on your system.

Step 1: Installing Docker

Before setting up Docker container, it’s crucial to first install Docker on your system. Depending on your operating system, the installation process can vary.

For Windows and MacOS, you can directly download Docker Desktop from Docker Hub platform. For Linux distributions, you’ll have to use the terminal command line.

Step 2: Checking Docker Installation

To confirm whether Docker has been successfully installed, run the following in your system’s terminal:

docker --version

This will display the currently installed version of Docker.

Step 3: Pulling a Docker Image

Once Docker is installed, the next step is to pull a Docker image from Docker hub, which is an online repository for Docker images.

You can do this by using the following command:

docker pull <image-name>

Don’t forget to replace <image-name> with the name of the image you want to pull.

Step 4: Running a Docker Container

With your desired Docker image, you can now run a Docker container. Use the following command:

docker run -d -P --name <container-name> <image-name>

Replace <container-name> with your preferred name for the new container and <image-name> with the name of the image you’ve pulled.

Running this command will create a new container with your chosen image and span it off into the background.

Step 5: Checking Running Containers

To ensure that your container is running as expected, check running containers using:

docker ps

This command will list out all active Docker containers, their IDs, names, and other pertinent information.

Please, note that this is a very basic introduction to setting up a Docker container. Docker provides a myriad of options and commands for varying purposes. But with this tutorial, you’re now equipped with the basic knowledge to start your Docker journey.

docker