How To Install Docker Desktop on Fedora 43

Docker Desktop has become an essential tool for developers working with containerized applications. If you’re running Fedora 43 and want to leverage the power of containerization with an intuitive graphical interface, this comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of installing and configuring Docker Desktop on your system. Whether you’re new to containerization or an experienced developer, you’ll find detailed instructions, troubleshooting tips, and best practices to get Docker Desktop running smoothly on your Fedora 43 workstation.

What is Docker Desktop?

Docker Desktop represents a complete development environment for building, shipping, and running containerized applications on your local machine. Unlike the standalone Docker Engine, Docker Desktop provides an integrated package that includes the Docker Engine, Docker CLI (command-line interface), Docker Compose, and a user-friendly graphical interface for managing containers, images, and volumes.

The desktop application simplifies container management through visual tools while maintaining full command-line functionality. It’s particularly valuable for developers who prefer a GUI-based workflow or need to manage complex multi-container applications. Docker Desktop also includes Kubernetes integration, making it easier to test deployments locally before pushing to production environments.

For Linux users, Docker Desktop differs from Docker Engine in several key ways. The desktop version includes additional components like the Docker Dashboard, built-in Kubernetes support, and automatic updates. While Docker Engine runs natively on Linux, Docker Desktop uses a lightweight virtual machine to provide consistent behavior across different operating systems.

Prerequisites and System Requirements

Before beginning the installation process, you need to verify that your system meets the necessary hardware and software requirements for running Docker Desktop effectively.

Hardware Requirements

Your Fedora 43 system must have a 64-bit processor with virtualization support enabled in the BIOS. Docker Desktop requires at least 4 GB of RAM, though 8 GB or more is recommended for optimal performance when running multiple containers simultaneously. You should also have at least 10 GB of free disk space available for Docker images and container data.

The processor must support either Intel VT-x or AMD-V virtualization technology. Most modern processors include this feature, but you may need to enable it in your system’s BIOS settings. Additionally, ensure your CPU has multiple cores, as Docker Desktop performs better with at least two cores allocated to container operations.

Software Requirements

Docker Desktop on Fedora 43 requires specific software components. You need a 64-bit version of Fedora 43, which is officially supported by Docker. The system must have KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) virtualization support and QEMU version 5.2 or newer installed.

If you’re using the GNOME desktop environment, install the AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem GNOME extensions to ensure proper integration with the system tray. For users running alternative desktop environments like KDE, XFCE, or others, you’ll need to install gnome-terminal to enable terminal access from Docker Desktop.

Pre-Installation Preparation

Proper preparation ensures a smooth installation process and prevents potential conflicts with existing Docker installations.

Update Your Fedora 43 System

Start by updating all system packages to their latest versions. Open a terminal and execute the following command:

sudo dnf update -y

This command updates the package repository cache and upgrades all installed packages. After the update completes, reboot your system if a kernel update was installed to ensure you’re running the latest kernel version.

Remove Old Docker Installations

If you previously installed Docker from Fedora’s default repositories or other sources, remove these packages to prevent conflicts. Run this command to remove legacy Docker versions:

sudo dnf remove docker docker-client docker-client-latest docker-common docker-latest docker-latest-logrotate docker-logrotate docker-selinux docker-engine-selinux docker-engine

The system may report that none of these packages are installed, which is perfectly normal. Important note: this removal process doesn’t delete your existing containers, images, volumes, or networks stored in /var/lib/docker/.

Install Required Dependencies

Install the necessary dependencies for Docker Desktop. Execute this command:

sudo dnf install -y dnf-plugins-core

If you’re not using GNOME as your desktop environment, also install gnome-terminal:

sudo dnf install -y gnome-terminal

For GNOME users, you’ll need to install additional extensions for proper system tray integration.

Installing Docker Engine

Docker Desktop requires Docker Engine as a foundation. You’ll need to install Docker Engine first using the official Docker repository.

Add the Docker Repository

First, install the dnf-plugins-core package if you haven’t already, then add the official Docker repository for Fedora:

sudo dnf -y install dnf-plugins-core
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://download.docker.com/linux/fedora/docker-ce.repo

This command configures your system to download Docker packages from Docker’s official repository rather than Fedora’s default repositories. The official repository ensures you receive the latest stable Docker releases with timely security updates.

Install Docker Engine and Components

Now install Docker Engine along with its essential components. Execute this command:

sudo dnf install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

During installation, you’ll be prompted to accept the Docker GPG key. Verify that the fingerprint matches 060A 61C5 1B55 8A7F 742B 77AA C52F EB6B 621E 9F35 before accepting. This security measure ensures you’re installing authentic Docker packages.

The installation process includes several components. Docker CE (Community Edition) is the core engine, docker-ce-cli provides the command-line interface, containerd.io manages container runtime operations, docker-buildx-plugin enables advanced build features, and docker-compose-plugin allows multi-container application management.

Start and Enable Docker Service

After installation completes, the Docker service isn’t automatically started. Enable and start the Docker service with this command:

sudo systemctl enable --now docker

This single command both starts Docker immediately and configures it to launch automatically when your system boots. Verify that Docker is running properly:

sudo systemctl status docker

The output should show “active (running)” in green text.

Installing Docker Desktop on Fedora 43

With Docker Engine successfully installed, you can now proceed to install Docker Desktop itself.

Download Docker Desktop RPM Package

Navigate to the official Docker Desktop download page for Fedora. Download the latest RPM package for your architecture (typically x86_64). The file will be saved to your Downloads folder by default.

You can also download the package using the command line:

cd ~/Downloads
curl -O https://desktop.docker.com/linux/main/amd64/docker-desktop-x86_64.rpm

For production environments, verify the package integrity by checking the checksums available in the Docker Desktop release notes.

Install Docker Desktop Package

Install the downloaded RPM package using dnf. Navigate to the directory containing the downloaded file and run:

sudo dnf install ./docker-desktop-x86_64.rpm

Replace the filename if you downloaded a different version. The installation process places Docker Desktop files in /opt/docker-desktop/.

Understanding Post-Installation Automation

The RPM package includes an automated post-install script that performs several important configuration tasks without manual intervention. The script sets special capabilities on the Docker Desktop binary, allowing it to map privileged ports and set resource limits without requiring root access.

It also adds a DNS entry for Kubernetes to your /etc/hosts file, enabling local Kubernetes cluster functionality. Additionally, the script creates a symbolic link from /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli to /usr/bin/docker, ensuring compatibility between the classic Docker CLI and Docker Desktop’s enhanced CLI with cloud-integration capabilities.

Post-Installation Configuration

After installing Docker Desktop, you need to perform several configuration steps to ensure optimal functionality.

Launch Docker Desktop

You can launch Docker Desktop from your application menu. In GNOME, open the Activities overview and search for “Docker Desktop”. In KDE, find it in your application launcher under Development or System tools.

Alternatively, start Docker Desktop from the terminal:

systemctl --user start docker-desktop

On first launch, you’ll see the Docker Subscription Service Agreement. Read the terms carefully and click “Accept” to proceed. Docker Desktop won’t run unless you accept these terms, though you can review and accept them later if needed.

Configure Docker User Group

By default, Docker commands require root privileges. To run Docker commands without sudo, add your user account to the docker group.

Create the docker group if it doesn’t exist:

sudo groupadd docker

Add your user to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Log out and log back in for the group membership changes to take effect. You can also use newgrp docker to activate the group changes immediately without logging out.

Configure Docker Desktop Settings

Open Docker Desktop and click the gear icon to access Settings. In the Resources section, configure CPU allocation, memory limits, and disk space according to your workload requirements.

For development work, allocate at least 2 CPU cores and 4 GB of RAM to Docker Desktop. If you regularly work with large images or multiple containers, increase these values accordingly. The default network subnet is 192.168.65.0/24, which you can modify if it conflicts with your local network.

Configure shared folders if you need to mount local directories into containers. Set up proxy settings if your network requires proxy authentication for internet access.

Verifying Docker Desktop Installation

After completing the installation and configuration, verify that everything works correctly.

Testing Docker Installation

Run the classic hello-world test container:

docker run hello-world

This command downloads a small test image from Docker Hub and runs it in a container. If successful, you’ll see a message explaining what Docker just did, confirming that your installation can pull images and run containers properly.

Check your Docker version:

docker --version

This should display the Docker version number, confirming the CLI is properly installed.

Checking Docker Compose

Docker Desktop includes Docker Compose V2. Verify its installation:

docker compose version

You should see output like “Docker Compose version v2.39.4” or similar. Note that Docker Desktop uses the newer docker compose command syntax (space instead of hyphen) by default. You can enable the legacy docker-compose command in Docker Desktop Settings if needed.

Managing Docker Desktop

Understanding how to control Docker Desktop helps you manage system resources effectively.

Starting Docker Desktop

Launch Docker Desktop from your desktop environment’s application menu or use the systemctl command:

systemctl --user start docker-desktop

When Docker Desktop starts, it creates a dedicated context for the Docker CLI and sets it as the active context. This prevents conflicts with any local Docker Engine installation that might be using the default context.

Enabling Auto-Start on Login

To automatically start Docker Desktop when you log in, enable it through the Settings menu under General, or use this command:

systemctl --user enable docker-desktop

This ensures Docker is ready whenever you need it without manual startup.

Stopping Docker Desktop

When you need to stop Docker Desktop to free up system resources, click the Docker icon in your system tray and select “Quit Docker Desktop”. Alternatively, use the terminal command:

systemctl --user stop docker-desktop

Docker Desktop resets the Docker CLI context to the previous setting when it shuts down.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Even with careful installation, you may encounter some common issues. Here are solutions to the most frequent problems.

Cannot Connect to Docker Daemon

If you receive a “Cannot connect to the Docker daemon” error, first verify the daemon is running:

sudo systemctl status docker

If the service isn’t running, start it:

sudo systemctl start docker

Check socket permissions if the daemon is running but you still can’t connect. Ensure your user is in the docker group and you’ve logged out and back in after adding yourself to the group.

Firewall and Network Issues

Docker sometimes experiences networking problems after Fedora system updates, particularly related to firewall zones. If containers can’t access the network, check if the Docker bridge interface is properly configured:

sudo firewall-cmd --get-active-zones

If the docker0 interface isn’t listed in any zone, add it:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=trusted --add-interface=docker0
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

This resolves most network connectivity issues.

Performance Issues

If Docker operations feel slow on Fedora, several factors could be responsible. Check your storage driver configuration:

docker info | grep "Storage Driver"

Fedora 43 uses cgroups v2 by default, which is fully supported by recent Docker versions but may cause performance issues with older container images. Ensure you’re running the latest Docker Desktop version for optimal cgroups v2 compatibility.

Adjust resource allocation in Docker Desktop Settings if performance remains poor. Increasing CPU cores and memory allocation often resolves sluggish container operations.

Security Best Practices

Implementing security best practices protects your containerized applications and host system.

Container Security

Never run containers in privileged mode unless absolutely necessary, as this grants containers full access to the host system. Avoid exposing unnecessary ports by carefully specifying only the ports your application actually needs.

Run containers as non-root users whenever possible. Create dedicated users inside your container images and use the USER directive in Dockerfiles to specify non-root execution. Enable read-only filesystems for containers that don’t need write access, using the --read-only flag.

Set resource quotas to prevent containers from consuming excessive CPU or memory. Use --memory and --cpus flags to limit resource usage.

System-Level Security

Keep SELinux enabled on Fedora 43. While some guides suggest disabling it for Docker, modern Docker versions work correctly with SELinux, providing an additional security layer.

Regularly update your system and Docker packages to receive security patches:

sudo dnf update

Configure firewalld to restrict network access appropriately. Use Docker’s built-in secrets management for sensitive data rather than environment variables. Limit Docker daemon access to trusted administrators only.

Docker Desktop vs Docker Engine: When to Use Which

Understanding the differences helps you choose the right tool for your needs.

Docker Desktop excels in development environments where you need a graphical interface, built-in Kubernetes support, and easy management of complex multi-container applications. It’s ideal for developers working on containerized applications who prefer visual tools for image management, container inspection, and log viewing.

Docker Engine alone might be more appropriate for production servers, CI/CD pipelines, or resource-constrained systems where you don’t need a GUI. Engine-only installations consume fewer resources and provide faster performance for automated workflows.

Many Fedora users also consider Podman, a Docker-compatible container engine that runs daemonless and integrates well with systemd. Podman can coexist with Docker Desktop if you need both tools for different projects.

Useful Docker Commands for Beginners

These essential commands help you get started with container management.

Pull an image from Docker Hub:

docker pull nginx

Run a container from an image:

docker run -d -p 80:80 nginx

List running containers:

docker ps

List all containers, including stopped ones:

docker ps -a

View container logs:

docker logs container_name

Stop a running container:

docker stop container_name

Remove a stopped container:

docker rm container_name

List downloaded images:

docker images

Remove an unused image:

docker rmi image_name

These commands form the foundation of container management and work identically whether you use Docker Desktop or Docker Engine.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Docker Desktop. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the Docker Desktop on your Fedora 43 Linux system. For additional or useful information, we recommend you check the official Docker website.