---
description: Learn how to install Docker Engine on CentOS. These instructions cover the different installation methods, how to uninstall, and next steps. 
keywords: install docker centos, centos install docker, docker install centos, yum install docker, install docker centos 7, install docker centos 8, centos docker-ce
redirect_from:
- /ee/docker-ee/centos/
- /engine/installation/centos/
- /engine/installation/linux/centos/
- /engine/installation/linux/docker-ce/centos/
- /engine/installation/linux/docker-ee/centos/
- /install/linux/centos/
- /install/linux/docker-ce/centos/
- /install/linux/docker-ee/centos/
title: Install Docker Engine on CentOS
toc_max: 4
---

To get started with Docker Engine on CentOS, make sure you
[meet the prerequisites](#prerequisites), then
[install Docker](#installation-methods).

## Prerequisites

### OS requirements

To install Docker Engine, you need a maintained version of one of the following CentOS versions:
   - CentOS 7
   - CentOS 8 (stream)
   - CentOS 9 (stream)

Archived versions aren't supported or tested.

The `centos-extras` repository must be enabled. This repository is enabled by
default, but if you have disabled it, you need to
[re-enable it](https://wiki.centos.org/AdditionalResources/Repositories){: target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="_" }.

The `overlay2` storage driver is recommended.

### Uninstall old versions

Older versions of Docker went by the names of `docker` or `docker-engine`.
Uninstall any such older versions before attempting to install a new version, along with associated dependencies:

```console
$ sudo yum remove docker \
                  docker-client \
                  docker-client-latest \
                  docker-common \
                  docker-latest \
                  docker-latest-logrotate \
                  docker-logrotate \
                  docker-engine
```

It's OK if `yum` reports that none of these packages are installed.

Images, containers, volumes, and networks stored in `/var/lib/docker/` aren’t automatically removed when you uninstall Docker.

## Installation methods

You can install Docker Engine in different ways, depending on your needs:

- You can
  [set up Docker's repositories](#install-using-the-repository) and install
  from them, for ease of installation and upgrade tasks. This is the
  recommended approach.

- You can download the RPM package and
  [install it manually](#install-from-a-package) and manage
  upgrades completely manually. This is useful in situations such as installing
  Docker on air-gapped systems with no access to the internet.

- In testing and development environments, you can use automated
  [convenience scripts](#install-using-the-convenience-script) to install Docker.

### Install using the repository

Before you install Docker Engine for the first time on a new host machine, you need
to set up the Docker repository. Afterward, you can install and update Docker
from the repository.

#### Set up the repository

{% assign download-url-base = "https://download.docker.com/linux/centos" %}

Install the `yum-utils` package (which provides the `yum-config-manager`
utility) and set up the repository.

```console
$ sudo yum install -y yum-utils

$ sudo yum-config-manager \
    --add-repo \
    {{ download-url-base }}/docker-ce.repo
```

#### Install Docker Engine

1. Install Docker Engine, containerd, and Docker Compose:

   <ul class="nav nav-tabs">
    <li class="active"><a data-toggle="tab" data-target="#tab-latest">Latest</a></li>
    <li><a data-toggle="tab" data-target="#tab-version">Specific version</a></li>
   </ul>
   <div class="tab-content">
   <br>
   <div id="tab-latest" class="tab-pane fade in active" markdown="1">

    To install the latest version, run:

    ```console
    $ sudo yum install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin
    ```

    If prompted to accept the GPG key, verify that the fingerprint matches
    `060A 61C5 1B55 8A7F 742B 77AA C52F EB6B 621E 9F35`, and if so, accept it.

    This command installs Docker, but it doesn't start Docker. It also creates a
    `docker` group, however, it doesn't add any users to the group by default.

   </div>
   <div id="tab-version" class="tab-pane fade" markdown="1">

    To install a specific version, start by listing the available versions in the repository:

    ```console
    $ yum list docker-ce --showduplicates | sort -r

    docker-ce.x86_64  3:18.09.1-3.el7                     docker-ce-stable
    docker-ce.x86_64  3:18.09.0-3.el7                     docker-ce-stable
    docker-ce.x86_64  18.06.1.ce-3.el7                    docker-ce-stable
    docker-ce.x86_64  18.06.0.ce-3.el7                    docker-ce-stable
    ```

    The list returned depends on which repositories are enabled, and is specific
    to your version of CentOS (indicated by the `.el7` suffix in this example).

    Install a specific version by its fully qualified package name, which is
    the package name (`docker-ce`) plus the version string (2nd column)
    starting at the first colon (`:`), up to the first hyphen, separated by
    a hyphen (`-`). For example, `docker-ce-18.09.1`.

    Replace `<VERSION_STRING>` with the desired version and then run the following command to install:

    ```console
    $ sudo yum install docker-ce-<VERSION_STRING> docker-ce-cli-<VERSION_STRING> containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin
    ```

    This command installs Docker, but it doesn't start Docker. It also creates a
    `docker` group, however, it doesn't add any users to the group by default.

   </div>
   <hr>
   </div>

2. Start Docker.

    ```console
    $ sudo systemctl start docker
    ```

3. Verify that Docker Engine installation is successful by running the `hello-world`
    image.

    ```console
    $ sudo docker run hello-world
    ```

    This command downloads a test image and runs it in a container. When the
    container runs, it prints a confirmation message and exits.

You have now successfully installed and started Docker Engine. The docker user group exists but contains no users, which is why you’re required to use sudo to run Docker commands. Continue to [Linux postinstall](linux-postinstall.md) to allow non-privileged users to run Docker commands and for other optional configuration steps.

#### Upgrade Docker Engine

To upgrade Docker Engine, follow the [installation instructions](#install-using-the-repository),
choosing the new version you want to install.

### Install from a package

If you can't use Docker's repository to install Docker, you can download the
`.rpm` file for your release and install it manually. You need to download
a new file each time you want to upgrade Docker Engine.

1. Go to [{{ download-url-base }}/]({{ download-url-base }}/){: target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="_" }
    and choose your version of CentOS. Then browse to `x86_64/stable/Packages/`
    and download the `.rpm` file for the Docker version you want to install.

2. Install Docker Engine, changing the path below to the path where you downloaded the Docker package.

    ```console
    $ sudo yum install /path/to/package.rpm
    ```

    Docker is installed but not started. The `docker` group is created, but no
    users are added to the group.

3. Start Docker.

    ```console
    $ sudo systemctl start docker
    ```

4. Verify that Docker Engine installation is successful by running the `hello-world`
    image.

    ```console
    $ sudo docker run hello-world
    ```

    This command downloads a test image and runs it in a container. When the
    container runs, it prints a confirmation message and exits.

You have now successfully installed and started Docker Engine. The docker user group exists but contains no users, which is why you’re required to use sudo to run Docker commands. Continue to [Linux postinstall](linux-postinstall.md) to allow non-privileged users to run Docker commands and for other optional configuration steps.

#### Upgrade Docker Engine

To upgrade Docker Engine, download the newer package file and repeat the
[installation procedure](#install-from-a-package), using `yum -y upgrade`
instead of `yum -y install`, and point to the new file.

{% include install-script.md %}

## Uninstall Docker Engine

1. Uninstall the Docker Engine, CLI, containerd, and Docker Compose packages:

    ```console
    $ sudo yum remove docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin docker-ce-rootless-extras
    ```

2. Images, containers, volumes, or customized configuration files on your host
    are not automatically removed. To delete all images, containers, and
    volumes:

    ```console
    $ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker
    $ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/containerd
    ```

You must delete any edited configuration files manually.

## Next steps

- Continue to [Post-installation steps for Linux](linux-postinstall.md).
- Review the topics in [Develop with Docker](../../develop/index.md) to learn how to build new applications using Docker.
