Docker is a containerization platform that allows the creation of consistent, isolated environments working seamlessly across various computing environments, from development to production.

At Hostinger, we have an Ubuntu 24.04 VPS template with both docker-ce and docker compose pre-installed, making it easy for you to start deploying and managing your applications using Docker containers. Additionally, we provide Docker Manager - a web-based interface for managing containers without command-line knowledge.

To start using Docker, install the Docker template and follow these steps:

Open Terminal (Linux/macOS) or Command Prompt/PowerShell (Windows) on your local computer and enter the following command:

Replace vps_ip with your VPS IP address. You might be prompted to enter your VPS password.

To verify that Docker is installed, enter the following command:

You will get the Docker version information if it's installed correctly. Now check Docker Compose with the following command:

If installed correctly, this will display the version of Docker Compose.

For a more user-friendly experience, Hostinger provides Docker Manager - a web-based interface that lets you deploy and manage Docker containers without using the command line.

To access Docker Manager:

1. Log in to your Hostinger control panel

2. Navigate to your VPS dashboard

3. Click on Docker Manager in the left sidebar

With Docker Manager, you can:

- Deploy containers using a visual interface

- Import Docker Compose files from GitHub or GitLab

- Monitor container status and logs

- Manage multiple projects easily

For detailed instructions, see our Docker Manager guide.

If you prefer using the command line, continue with the steps below.

Pull a sample Docker image to test your setup. For instance, you can use the "Hello World" image:

This command will download and run the "Hello World" container.

Create a new directory for your Docker Compose project and navigate to it:

Once inside your project directory, create a docker-compose.yml file using a text editor and define your services, networks, and volumes. Now you can start your services using the following command:

This will start the services defined in your Docker Compose configuration by reading the configuration from the docker-compose.yml file in the current directory. The -d flag stands for detached so that the command runs in the background and returns to the command line instead of showing the logs of the running services.

Note: If you prefer a visual interface, you can use Docker Manager to create and deploy Docker Compose projects directly from your browser. See our Docker Manager guide for instructions.

To stop your Docker Compose services, use the following command:

To list all running containers, use:

That's it! Now you know how to use Docker in your Hostinger VPS.