docs/desktop/linux/install/debian.md

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Instructions for installing Docker Desktop on Debian	requirements, apt, installation, debian, install, uninstall, upgrade, update	Install Docker Desktop on Debian	4

To get started with Docker Desktop on Debian, make sure you meet the prerequisites, then install Docker Desktop.

Prerequisites

Your Debian distribution must meet the system requirements to install and launch Docker Desktop successfully.

Additionally, for a Gnome Desktop environment you must install AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem Gnome extensions.

OS requirements

To install Docker Desktop, you need the 64-bit version of one of these Debian versions:

• Debian 11

Uninstall old versions

To remove Docker Desktop for Linux, run:

$ sudo apt remove docker-desktop

For a complete cleanup, remove configuration and data files at $HOME/.docker/desktop, the symlink at /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli, and purge the remaining systemd service files.

$ rm -r $HOME/.docker/desktop
$ sudo rm /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli
$ sudo apt purge docker-desktop

Note

If you have installed the Docker Desktop for Linux tech preview or beta version, you need to remove all files that were generated by those packages (eg. ~/.config/systemd/user/docker-desktop.service, ~/.local/share/systemd/user/docker-desktop.service).

Install Docker Desktop

Recommended approach to install Docker Desktop on Debian:

1. Set up Docker's DEB repository

2. Download latest DEB package from the release page.

3. Install the package with apt as follows:

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install ./docker-desktop-<version>-<arch>.deb

Note

At the end of the installation process, apt displays an error due to installing a downloaded package. You can ignore this error message.

N: Download is performed unsandboxed as root, as file '/home/user/Downloads/docker-desktop.deb' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)

There are a few post-install configuration steps done through the maintainers' scripts (post-install script contained in the deb package.

The post-install script:

• sets the capability on the Docker Desktop binary to map privileged ports and set resource limits
• adds a DNS name for Kubernetes to /etc/hosts
• creates a link from /usr/bin/docker to /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli

Launch Docker Desktop

{% include desktop-linux-launch.md %}

Upgrade Docker Desktop

Once a new version for Docker Desktop is released, the Docker UI shows a notification. You need to download the new package each time you want to upgrade Docker Desktop and run

$ sudo apt-get install ./docker-desktop-<version>-<arch>.deb

Uninstall Docker Desktop

To remove Docker Desktop for Linux, run:

$ sudo apt remove docker-desktop

For a complete cleanup, remove configuration and data files at $HOME/.docker/desktop, the symlink at /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli, and purge the remaining systemd service files.

$ rm -r $HOME/.docker/desktop
$ sudo rm /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli
$ sudo apt purge docker-desktop

Remove the credsStore and currentContext properties from $HOME/.docker/config.json. Additionally, you must delete any edited configuration files manually.

Next steps

• Take a look at the Get started training modules to learn how to build an image and run it as a containerized application.
• Review the topics in Develop with Docker to learn how to build new applications using Docker.