Install Docker Software

Install Docker (docs.docker.com) on your machine and add it to the system path.

Linux

On Linux, you should also enable Docker CLI for the non-root user account that will be used to run VS Code.

Windows

Install Virtual Box

Run in elevated PowerShell terminal:

PowerShell (as admin)

C:\ choco install virtualbox

Docker Engine Setup

Install Docker Machine

Docker Machine: a CLI tool for installing Docker Engine on virtual hosts

Execute this command inside an elevated PowerShell terminal (alternatively, you can install Docker Machine by following instructions on this page (docs.docker.com)):

PowerShell (as admin)

C:\ choco install docker-machine

Install Docker Engine

Using Git Bash terminal, use Docker Machine to install Docker Engine. This will download a Linux image containing the Docker Engine and have it run as a VM using VirtualBox. Simply execute the following command:

Git-Bash

docker-machine create --driver virtualbox default

Set up Oracle VM VirtualBox

We need to allow Docker to mount volumes located on your hard drive. To add your path, open Oracle VM VirtualBox. Select the desired VM (in my case default3), go to Settings > Shared Folders and create or edit entries:

If your working directory is F:\parsh\for-Docker-Windows/, make /f/parsh/for-Docker-Windows (in Unix sintax) the mount point.

Set up Docker environment variables

Configure Docker environment to use Docker VM:

PowerShell

PowerShell

docker-machine env default

and then:

PowerShell

& "C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\lib\docker-machine\bin\docker-machine.exe" env default | Invoke-Expression

To avoid setting environment variables every time, you start a new PowerShell terminal, run this line:

PowerShell

docker-machine env default

Copy env output:

❯ docker-machine env default
$Env:DOCKER_TLS_VERIFY = "1"
$Env:DOCKER_HOST = "tcp://192.168.99.101:2376"
$Env:DOCKER_CERT_PATH = "C:\Users\parsh\.docker\machine\machines\default"
$Env:DOCKER_MACHINE_NAME = "default"
$Env:COMPOSE_CONVERT_WINDOWS_PATHS = "true"
# Run this command to configure your shell:
# & "C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\lib\docker-machine\bin\docker-machine.exe" env default | Invoke-Expression

info

Take note that there’s a chance the IP address assigned might be different from the one you saved every time you start the default VM.

And insert this block into Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1 (to open it run: notepad $profile)

Git-Bash

Git-Bash

eval $(docker-machine env default --shell linux)

To avoid setting environment variables every time, you start a new Git-Bash terminal, run this line:

Git-Bash

docker-machine env default

Transform env output to:

export DOCKER_TLS_VERIFY="1"
export DOCKER_HOST="tcp://192.168.99.100:2376"
export DOCKER_CERT_PATH="C:\Users\[username]\.docker\machine\machines\default"
export DOCKER_MACHINE_NAME="default"
export COMPOSE_CONVERT_WINDOWS_PATHS="true"

info

Take note that there’s a chance the IP address assigned might be different from the one you saved every time you start the default VM.

And insert this block into .bashrc.

Certificates Error

If you encounter a certificate error, just re-generate the certificates with the command:

docker-machine regenerate-certs default

And then rerun the env command.

Docker Tools Setup

These tools are packaged inside the Docker for Windows installer, we’ll install these programs individually using Chocolatey. Run this in elevated PowerShell:

PowerShell

C:\ choco install docker-cli
C:\ choco install docker-compose

Then run in PowerShell or Git-Bash:

# Start Docker VM
docker-machine start default

# Confirm Docker VM is running
docker-machine ls

# Confirm Docker is connected. Should output Docker VM specs
docker info

# Run hello-world docker image. Should output "Hello from Docker"
docker run hello-world