Skip to main content

🐋Docker / Docker Compose + Dockge Setup Guide (Debian 12 Bookworm)

Prerequisites

  • Debian Bookworm
  • Root or sudo privileges
  • Internet access

1. 🔄 Update the System

apt update && apt upgrade -y

2. 📦 Install Dependencies

apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common gnupg2 -y

3. 🔑 Add Docker GPG Key and Repository

Note: apt-key is deprecated. A better method is to store the key in /etc/apt/keyrings/, but this follows the legacy method used in the original steps.

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/debian/gpg | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/debian $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list

4. 🐳 Install Docker Engine + Compose Plugin

apt update && apt install docker-ce -y

This installs:

  • Docker Engine
  • Docker CLI
  • Docker Compose plugin (docker compose)
  • Supporting packages like containerd.io, iptables, etc.

5. 🚀 Enable Docker on Boot

systemctl enable docker

6. 🧱 (Optional) Install Legacy docker-compose Binary

curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/1.29.2/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
docker-compose --version

7. 📁 Set Up Dockge (Docker Container Manager)

mkdir -p /opt/stacks /opt/dockge
cd /opt/dockge
curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/louislam/dockge/master/compose.yaml --output compose.yaml
docker compose up -d

This:

  • Creates project directories
  • Downloads the compose.yaml for Dockge
  • Deploys Dockge using Docker Compose

Once running, Dockge will be available via Docker (check docker ps for ports).

✅ Result

  • Docker installed and running
  • Docker Compose (v1 and plugin) available
  • Dockge deployed and managing stacks under /opt/stacks

💡 Notes

  • If apt-key shows a deprecation warning, consider migrating the key to /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg and referencing that path in the .list file.
  • Dockge stores stacks in /opt/stacks. You can start new apps here using Dockge's web UI.
  • Port for Dockge is defined in the compose.yaml.
Back to top