Part 1, Install Docker and Docker Compose

Here’s a step-by-step guide to install Docker and Docker Compose on Debian 12 Bookworm

Step 1: Update System Packages

Ensure your system packages are up to date before starting the installation.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Install packages that allow apt to use HTTPS and required tools for adding Docker’s official repository.

sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common gnupg lsb-release -y

Step 3: Add Docker’s Official GPG Key

You need to add Docker’s GPG key to verify the packages.

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/debian/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

Step 4: Set Up Docker Repository

Add Docker’s official repository to your system.

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/debian $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

Step 5: Install Docker Engine

Update the package database and install Docker.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io -y

Step 6: Verify Docker Installation

Check if Docker is installed and running.

sudo systemctl status docker

(Optional) Add your user to the docker group to avoid needing sudo for Docker commands:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

You’ll need to log out and log back in for this change to take effect, or apply

newgrp docker

Step 7: Install Docker Compose

Now install Docker Compose, which is a tool to define and run multi-container Docker applications.

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.20.0/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Make the binary executable:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Verify the installation:

docker-compose --version

Step 8: Enable Docker to Start on Boot

Enable the Docker service to automatically start on system boot.

sudo systemctl enable docker

Step 9: Test Docker and Docker Compose

You can run a simple Docker container to verify everything is set up properly:

docker run hello-world

For Docker Compose, create a simple YAML file (docker-compose.yml) and run it:

version: '3'
services:
  hello-world:
    image: hello-world

Run the following command:

docker-compose up

Part 1, Summary

Now, Docker and Docker Compose are installed on your Debian 12 system, ready to manage containerized applications!

This guide will fit well into your blog post as a detailed tutorial for preparing Debian 12 to run Docker containers.

Part 2, Running Containers with Docker

Running Docker containers is straightforward once Docker and Docker Compose are installed. Here’s a basic guide on how to run containers.

Step 1: Pull a Docker Image

Docker images are pre-configured applications that you can run in containers. You can search for and pull images from Docker Hub.

For example, to pull an official Nginx image, run:

docker pull nginx

Step 2: Run a Docker Container

Once the image is pulled, you can start a container. For example, to run an Nginx container:

docker run --name my-nginx -p 80:80 -d nginx

• --name my-nginx: Assigns a name to the container.
• -p 80:80: Maps port 80 on the host to port 80 on the container.
• -d: Runs the container in detached mode (in the background).
• nginx: The name of the image.

You can now visit http://localhost in your browser, and you should see the Nginx welcome page.

Step 3: Check Running Containers

To see all running containers:

docker ps

To see all containers, including stopped ones:

docker ps -a

Step 4: Stop and Remove Containers

To stop a running container:

docker stop my-nginx

To remove a stopped container:

docker rm my-nginx

You can also stop and remove containers in one command:

docker stop my-nginx && docker rm my-nginx

Running Containers with Docker Compose

Docker Compose is useful for managing multi-container environments with a single configuration file.

Step 1: Create a docker-compose.yml File

Here’s an example for running WordPress and MySQL:

version: '3'
services:
  db:
    image: mysql:5.7
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: always
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: example

  wordpress:
    image: wordpress:latest
    ports:
      - "8000:80"
    restart: always
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db:3306
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: example
    depends_on:
      - db

volumes:
  db_data:

Step 2: Start the Containers

Navigate to the directory containing your docker-compose.yml file and run:

docker-compose up -d

This command will pull the required images, create containers, and start them in detached mode.

Step 3: Check Running Containers with Docker Compose

To see running containers managed by Docker Compose:

docker-compose ps

Step 4: Stop and Remove Containers

To stop the running containers:

docker-compose down

This command stops and removes all containers defined in the docker-compose.yml file.

Step 5: View Logs

To view logs of your services:

docker-compose logs

You can specify a service to view only its logs, for example:

docker-compose logs wordpress

Part 2, Summary

With Docker, you can easily run single containers, while Docker Compose allows for managing multi-container applications. This should give you the foundation to start running containers on Debian 12 and add more advanced setups to your blog post later.