How To Install Docker Desktop on Manjaro: A Comprehensive Guide

Docker has revolutionized the way developers build, ship, and run applications. For Manjaro Linux users, installing Docker Desktop opens up a world of containerization possibilities. This guide will walk you through the process of installing Docker Desktop on your Manjaro system, ensuring you have a robust and efficient containerization environment at your fingertips.

Introduction

Docker is a powerful platform that allows you to develop, deploy, and run applications in containers. These containers package up code and all its dependencies, ensuring that the application runs quickly and reliably from one computing environment to another. Manjaro, an Arch-based Linux distribution known for its user-friendliness and rolling release model, is an excellent choice for running Docker.

Docker Desktop brings Docker’s containerization technology to your personal computer, providing an easy-to-use interface for managing containers, images, and volumes. By following this guide, you’ll be able to harness the full potential of Docker on your Manjaro system, whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting your journey into containerization.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the installation process, let’s ensure you have everything you need to successfully install Docker Desktop on Manjaro:

• System Requirements: A Manjaro Linux system with at least 4GB of RAM. Docker Desktop can be resource-intensive, so more RAM is always better.
• User Privileges: You’ll need a user account with sudo privileges to perform the installation and configuration steps.
• Internet Connection: A stable internet connection is crucial for downloading packages and dependencies.
• Optional Tools: While not strictly necessary, having GNOME Terminal installed can make the process smoother.

With these prerequisites in place, you’re ready to begin the installation process.

Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing any new software on Manjaro, it’s crucial to ensure your system is up-to-date. This step helps prevent compatibility issues and ensures you have the latest security patches.

Open your terminal and run the following command:

sudo pacman -Syu

This command updates your package databases and upgrades all installed packages to their latest versions. The process may take a few minutes, depending on your internet speed and the number of packages that need updating.

Once the update process is complete, it’s a good idea to reboot your system to ensure all changes take effect:

sudo reboot

Step 2: Install Docker Engine

Docker Engine is the core component of Docker and a prerequisite for Docker Desktop. Let’s install it using Manjaro’s package manager, pacman.

Run the following command to install Docker:

sudo pacman -S docker

After the installation is complete, we need to start the Docker service and enable it to run at boot:

sudo systemctl start docker.service
sudo systemctl enable docker.service

To verify that Docker Engine is installed correctly, check its version:

sudo docker version

This command should display information about the Docker client and server versions.

Step 3: Add User to the Docker Group

By default, Docker commands require root privileges. To avoid using sudo every time you run a Docker command, we’ll add your user to the Docker group.

Execute the following command, replacing $USER with your actual username if necessary:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

For these changes to take effect, you’ll need to log out and log back in, or you can use the following command to switch to the new group without logging out:

newgrp docker

Step 4: Download and Install Docker Desktop

4.1 Downloading Docker Desktop

Visit the official Docker website to download the latest Arch package for Docker Desktop. Alternatively, you can use wget to download it directly from the terminal:

wget https://download.docker.com/linux/static/stable/x86_64/docker-27.3.1.tgz -qO- | tar xvfz - docker/docker --strip-components=1
mv ./docker /usr/local/bin

Replace “27.3.1” with the latest version number available on the Docker website.

4.2 Installing Docker Desktop

Once the download is complete, install the package using pacman:

sudo pacman -U ./docker-desktop-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

During the installation, you may be prompted to select QEMU options. Choose the appropriate options based on your system’s architecture.

4.3 Verify Installation

After installation, verify that Docker Desktop is installed correctly by checking its version:

docker --version
docker compose version

Both commands should return version information, confirming a successful installation.

Step 5: Launch and Configure Docker Desktop

5.1 Starting Docker Desktop

You can start Docker Desktop from the Applications menu or by running the following command in the terminal:

systemctl --user start docker-desktop

5.2 Accepting Terms of Service

When you launch Docker Desktop for the first time, you’ll be prompted to accept the terms of service. Read through the terms and accept them to proceed.

5.3 Setting Up Automatic Startup

To have Docker Desktop start automatically when you log in, you can enable it in the Docker Desktop settings or use this command:

systemctl --user enable docker-desktop

Step 6: Testing the Installation

6.1 Running a Test Container

To ensure everything is working correctly, let’s run a simple test container:

docker run hello-world

If successful, you’ll see a welcome message indicating that your Docker installation is working correctly.

6.2 Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter any issues, here are some troubleshooting steps:

• Check the Docker service status:

  sudo systemctl status docker.service

• Inspect Docker logs for errors:

  journalctl -u docker.service

• Ensure your user is in the docker group:

  groups $USER

Step 7: Uninstalling Docker Desktop (Optional)

7.1 Removing Packages

If you need to uninstall Docker Desktop, use the following command:

sudo pacman -R docker docker-desktop

7.2 Cleaning Up Configuration Files

To remove leftover configuration files, you can manually delete the Docker Desktop directory:

rm -rf ~/.docker

Tips for Using Docker on Manjaro

Now that you have Docker Desktop installed on your Manjaro system, here are some tips to help you make the most of it:

• Image Management: Regularly clean up unused images to save disk space:

  docker image prune

• Container Management: Use Docker Compose for managing multi-container applications:

  docker-compose up -d

• Resource Allocation: Monitor and adjust resource allocation in Docker Desktop settings to optimize performance.
• Networking: Familiarize yourself with Docker’s networking features to effectively connect containers and services.
• Security: Regularly update Docker and your containers to ensure you have the latest security patches.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Docker Desktop. Thanks for using this tutorial to install the latest version of Docker Desktop on Manjaro. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Docker website.