How to Install Docker on a VPS (Ubuntu and Debian)

Docker is one of the most popular ways to run applications in isolated containers. A VPS is a great fit for Docker because it gives you full root access, predictable resources, and the flexibility to run multiple services on the same server.

This guide shows how to install Docker Engine on a VPS running Ubuntu or Debian.

If you want a server prepared for container workloads, you can deploy a Docker VPS with full root access and NVMe storage.

What You Need

A VPS running a supported Ubuntu or Debian release
Root access, or a user with sudo
A 64-bit system

Docker provides separate installation instructions for Ubuntu, Debian, and RHEL-based systems, so this article focuses only on Ubuntu and Debian. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Step 1: Connect to Your VPS

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Replace YOUR_SERVER_IP with your VPS IP address.

Step 2: Remove Old or Conflicting Packages

Before installing Docker from the official repository, remove older or conflicting packages if they are present.

Ubuntu:

for pkg in docker.io docker-doc docker-compose docker-compose-v2 podman-docker containerd runc; do sudo apt-get remove -y $pkg; done

Debian:

for pkg in docker.io docker-doc docker-compose podman-docker containerd runc; do sudo apt-get remove -y $pkg; done

Docker recommends removing distribution-provided Docker packages before installing the official Docker Engine packages. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Step 3: Update the Package Index

sudo apt-get update

Step 4: Install Required Packages

sudo apt-get install -y ca-certificates curl

Step 5: Add Docker’s Official GPG Key

Ubuntu:

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Debian:

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/debian/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Step 6: Add the Docker Repository

Ubuntu:

echo \
  "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
  $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}") stable" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

Debian:

echo \
  "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/debian \
  $(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

These repository steps follow Docker’s current official installation method for apt-based systems. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Step 7: Install Docker Engine

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

This installs Docker Engine, the CLI, containerd, Buildx, and the Docker Compose plugin. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Step 8: Verify the Installation

sudo docker run hello-world

If Docker is installed correctly, the command downloads and runs a test container.

Optional: Start Docker Automatically on Boot

sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl enable containerd

Docker also documents Linux post-installation steps such as running Docker without root and enabling services on boot. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Optional: Run Docker Without sudo

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Then log out and log back in for the group change to apply.

Run Your First Container

For example, to launch an Nginx container:

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

You can then open your VPS IP address in a browser and see the default Nginx page.

Why Use a VPS for Docker?

Full root access
Isolation from other users
Easy deployment of multiple apps
Good fit for self-hosted tools and APIs
Predictable CPU, RAM, and storage resources

A Docker VPS hosting setup is ideal for running web apps, APIs, CI tools, reverse proxies, and self-hosted services.

Conclusion

Installing Docker on Ubuntu or Debian is straightforward when you use Docker’s official repository. Once installed, you can deploy containers quickly and manage applications much more easily than on traditional shared hosting.

If you want a server optimized for containers, you can launch a Docker VPS and start deploying immediately.