---
description: Instructions for installing Docker on Oracle Linux
keywords: Docker, Docker documentation, requirements, installation, oracle, ol, rpm, install, uninstall, upgrade, update
redirect_from:
- /engine/installation/oracle/
title: Get Docker for Oracle Linux
---

To get started with Docker on Oracle Linux, make sure you
[meet the prerequisites](#prerequisites), then
[install Docker](#install-docker).

## Prerequisites

### OS requirements

To install Docker, you need the 64-bit version of Oracle Linux 6 or 7 running the
Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 4 (4.1.12) or higher.

For Oracle Linux 6, you need to enable extra repositories to install UEK4. See
[Obtaining and installing the UEK packages](https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E37670_01/E37355/html/ol_obtain_uek.html){: target="_blank" class="_" }.

The [OverlayFS2 storage driver](https://docs.docker.com/engine/userguide/storagedriver/overlayfs-driver/) is only supported
when running the UEK4.

### Remove unofficial Docker packages

Oracle's repositories used to contain an older version of Docker with the package name
`docker` instead of `docker-engine`. If you still have this version of Docker installed,
remove it using the following command:

```bash
$ sudo yum -y remove docker
```

Oracle's repositories also contain the Oracle-supported version of Docker which uses
the same `docker-engine` name as the official Docker package. If you have installed this
version of Docker, it will automatically be upgraded by the official version.

You may also have to remove the package `docker-engine-selinux` which conflicts with
the official `docker-engine` package.  Remove it with the following command:

```bash
$ sudo yum -y remove docker-engine-selinux
```
This package has already been deprecated by Oracle so will only exist on systems that have
an older version of the Oracle-supported package installed.

The contents of `/var/lib/docker` are not removed, so any images, containers,
or volumes you created using the older version of Docker are preserved.

## Install Docker

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

- Users who do not require Docker support from Oracle can
  [set up the official Docker repositories](#install-using-the-repository) and
  install from them, for ease of installation and upgrade tasks. This is the
  recommended approach.

- Some users download the RPM package and install it manually and manage
  upgrades completely manually.

- Some users cannot use third-party repositories or who wish to receive Docker support
  from Oracle must rely on the version of Docker in the Oracle repositories.
  This version of Docker may be out of date. Those users should consult the Oracle
  Linux Docker User's Guide and not follow these procedures.

### Install using the repository

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

#### Set up the repository

1.  Install the `yum-utils` plugin, which provides the `yum-config-manager`
    plugin.

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

2.  Use one of the following commands to set up the **stable** repository,
    depending on your version of Oracle Linux:

    **Oracle Linux 7**:

    ```bash
    $ sudo yum-config-manager \
        --add-repo \
        https://docs.docker.com/engine/installation/linux/repo_files/oracle/docker-ol7.repo
    ```

    **Oracle Linux 6**:

    ```bash
    $ sudo yum-config-manager \
        --add-repo \
        https://docs.docker.com/engine/installation/linux/repo_files/oracle/docker-ol6.repo
    ```

3.  **Optional**: Enable the **testing** repository. This repository is included
    in the `docker.repo` file above but is disabled by default. You can enable
    it alongside the stable repository. **Do not use unstable repositories on
    on production systems or for non-testing workloads.**

    > **Warning**: If you have both stable and unstable repositories enabled,
    > installing or updating without specifying a version in the `yum install`
    > or `yum update` command will always install the highest possible version,
    > which will almost certainly be an unstable one.

    ```bash
    $ sudo yum-config-manager --enablerepo docker-testing
    ```

    You can disable the `testing` repository by running the `yum-config-manager`
    command with the `--disablerepo` flag. To re-enable it, use the
    `--set-enabled` flag. The following command disables the `testing`
    repository.

    ```bash
    $ sudo yum-config-manager --disablerepo docker-testing
    ```

#### Install Docker

1.  Update the `yum` package index.

    ```bash
    $ sudo yum makecache fast
    ```

2.  Install the latest version of Docker, or go to the next step to install a
    specific version.

    ```bash
    $ sudo yum -y install docker-engine
    ```

    If this is the first time you are installing a package from
    the Docker repositories, the GPG key and fingerprint will be shown and
    automatically accepted.

    If you do not want to automatically accept the GPG key, remove the `-y`
    parameter so that yum prompts you to accept the GPG manually.

    Ensure the GPG details match the following:

    ```none
    Retrieving key from https://yum.dockerproject.org/gpg
    Importing GPG key 0x2C52609D:
    Userid     : "Docker Release Tool (releasedocker) <docker@docker.com>"
    Fingerprint: 5811 8e89 f3a9 1289 7c07 0adb f762 2157 2c52 609d
    From       : https://yum.dockerproject.org/gpg
    ```

    > **Warning**: If you have both stable and unstable repositories enabled,
    > installing or updating Docker without specifying a version in the
    > `yum install` or `yum upgrade` command will always install the highest
    > available version, which will almost certainly be an unstable one.

3.  On production systems, you should install a specific version of Docker
    instead of always using the latest. List the available versions.
    This example uses the `sort -r` command to sort the results by version
    number, highest to lowest. The output is truncated.

    > **Note**: This `yum list` command only shows binary packages. To show
    > source packages as well, omit the `.x86_64` from the package name.

    ```bash
    $ yum list docker-engine.x86_64  --showduplicates |sort -nr

    docker-engine.x86_64  1.13.0-1.el6                                docker-main   
    docker-engine.x86_64  1.12.3-1.el6                                docker-main   
    docker-engine.x86_64  1.12.2-1.el6                                docker-main   
    docker-engine.x86_64  1.12.1-1.el6                                docker-main    
    ```

    The contents of the list depend upon which repositories you have enabled,
    and will be specific to your version of Oracle Linux (indicated by the
    `.el7` suffix on the version, in this example). Choose a specific version to
    install. The second column is the version string.

    The third column is the repository name, which indicates which repository the
    package is from and by extension extension its stability level. Oracle ships
    the `docker-engine` in its addon repository so you may also see that repository
    in this column if you have it enabled.

    To install a specific version, append the version string to the package name
    and separate them by a hyphen
    (`-`):

    ```bash
    $ sudo yum -y install docker-engine-<VERSION_STRING>
    ```

    The Docker daemon does not start automatically.

4.  Start the Docker daemon. Use `systemctl` on Oracle Linux 7 or `service` on
    Oracle Linux 6.

    **Oracle Linux 7**:

    ```bash
    $ sudo systemctl start docker
    ```

    **Oracle Linux 6**:

    ```bash
    $ sudo service docker start
    ```

5.  Verify that `docker` is installed correctly by running the `hello-world`
    image.

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

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

Docker is installed and running. You need 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

To upgrade Docker, either run `sudo yum update docker-engine` to upgrade to the latest available
version or if you would prefer to upgrade to a specific version, first run
`sudo yum makecache fast`, then follow the [installation instructions](#install-docker),
choosing the new version you want to install.

### Install from a package

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

1.  Go to [https://yum.dockerproject.org/repo/main/oraclelinux/](https://yum.dockerproject.org/repo/main/oraclelinux/)
    and choose the subdirectory for your Oracle Linux version. Download the
    `.rpm` file for the Docker version you want to install.

    > **Note**: To install a testing version, change the word `main` in the
    > URL to `testing`. Do not use unstable versions of Docker in production
    > or for non-testing workloads.

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

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

    The Docker daemon does not start automatically.

4.  Start the Docker daemon. Use `systemctl` on Oracle Linux 7 or `service` on
    Oracle Linux 6.

    **Oracle Linux 7**:

    ```bash
    $ sudo systemctl start docker
    ```

    **Oracle Linux 6**:

    ```bash
    $ sudo service docker start
    ```

5.  Verify that `docker` is installed correctly by running the `hello-world`
    image.

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

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

Docker is installed and running. You need to use `sudo` to run Docker commands.
Continue to [Post-installation steps for Linux](linux-postinstall.md) to allow
non-privileged users to run Docker commands and for other optional configuration
steps.

#### Upgrade Docker

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

## Uninstall Docker

1.  Uninstall the Docker package:

    ```bash
    $ sudo yum remove docker-engine
    ```

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

    ```bash
    $ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker
    ```

    > **Note**: If you are using the `btrfs` graph driver, you will need to manually
    > remove any subvolumes that were created by the Docker Engine before removing the
    > rest of the data.
    > Review the [Oracle Linux 7 Administrator Guide](http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E52668_01/E54669/html/ol7-use-case3-btrfs.html)
    > for more information on how to remove btrfs subvolumes or see the output of
    > `man btrfs-subvolume` for information on removing `btrfs` subvolumes.

You must delete any edited configuration files manually.

## Next steps

- Continue to [Post-installation steps for Linux](linux-postinstall.md)

- Continue with the [User Guide](../../userguide/index.md).