How to Run Docker Containers on Debian 12 Bookworm System

With the release of Debian 12 “Bookworm”, system administrators and developers are taking advantage of the stability and improvements that come with the new version. Docker, a powerful platform for developing, shipping, and running applications inside lightweight containers, remains one of the most commonly used tools in the DevOps toolkit. Whether you’re running a production-grade server or just want to experiment with containerized applications, Docker on Debian 12 is a solid combination.

This guide walks you through installing Docker on Debian 12 Bookworm, configuring it properly, and running your first container. Whether you’re a beginner or someone with moderate Linux experience, this step-by-step article will help you get started confidently.

What is Docker?

Docker is an open-source platform that allows developers to package applications and their dependencies into containers. These containers are lightweight, portable, and consistent across different environments, making development, testing, and deployment processes much more efficient.

Some key benefits of Docker include:

• Isolation: Each container is isolated from the host and other containers.
• Reproducibility: Developers can ship the same container across development, testing, and production environments.
• Portability: Containers can run anywhere Docker is installed—on local machines, virtual machines, cloud providers, etc.
• Efficiency: Docker containers are lightweight and start faster compared to traditional virtual machines.

Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing Docker, it’s best practice to update your system packages to the latest versions.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Make sure curl, ca-certificates, and gnupg are installed, as you’ll need these tools for setting up Docker’s repository.

sudo apt install ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release -y

Step 2: Add Docker’s Official Repository

Docker is not included by default in Debian’s official repositories, especially not the latest stable version. You’ll need to add Docker’s official repository.

1. Add Docker’s GPG Key

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

2. Add Docker Repository

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

3. Update Your Package Index

sudo apt update

Now that the Docker repository is configured, you’re ready to install Docker.

Step 3: Install Docker Engine

Install Docker Engine, CLI, and the Containerd runtime:

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

To verify Docker is installed correctly:

docker --version

Expected output (version may vary):

Docker version 24.0.5, build ced0996

Step 4: Start and Enable Docker

Docker should start automatically after installation. You can check its status with:

sudo systemctl status docker

To ensure Docker starts at boot time:

sudo systemctl enable docker

If Docker isn’t running, start it manually:

sudo systemctl start docker

Step 5: Run Docker Without sudo

By default, Docker commands need to be run with sudo. To allow a non-root user to run Docker commands:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

After this, log out and back in or reboot the system to apply group changes. You can test if it works:

docker info

If it runs without error, the setup is successful.

Step 6: Test Docker by Running a Container

Now that Docker is running, you can test it with the popular hello-world image.

docker run hello-world

Docker will pull the image from Docker Hub and run it. You should see a confirmation message that Docker is working correctly.

Step 7: Basic Docker Commands

Here are a few essential Docker commands to get you started:

Pull an Image

docker pull nginx

Run a Container

docker run -d -p 8080:80 --name webserver nginx

• -d: Detached mode (runs in background)
• -p: Maps host port 8080 to container port 80
• --name: Assigns a name to the container

Visit http://localhost:8080 in your browser. You should see the Nginx welcome page.

List Running Containers

docker ps

Stop a Container

docker stop webserver

Remove a Container

docker rm webserver

Remove an Image

docker rmi nginx

Step 8: Using Docker Compose (Optional)

Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications using YAML files.

Check if it’s installed

docker compose version

If you installed Docker with the docker-compose-plugin, it should work out of the box.

Example: Running a WordPress Stack

Create a file named docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.1'

services:

  db:
    image: mysql:5.7
    restart: always
    environment:
      MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
      MYSQL_USER: user
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: password
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: rootpass

  wordpress:
    image: wordpress:latest
    restart: always
    ports:
      - 8080:80
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db:3306
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: user
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: password
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: wordpress

Run it:

docker compose up -d

Visit http://localhost:8080 to complete the WordPress setup.

Step 9: Managing Docker on Debian 12

Here are some tips for managing Docker effectively on Debian 12 Bookworm:

Clean Up Unused Resources

docker system prune -a

This removes all stopped containers, unused networks, and dangling images.

View Docker Logs

docker logs <container_name_or_id>

Monitor Docker Resources

docker stats

Shows real-time usage statistics for containers.

Security Tips for Production

• Use firewall rules to restrict access to Docker-exposed ports.
• Disable root inside containers when possible.
• Scan images for vulnerabilities using tools like docker scan or Trivy.
• Keep Docker and the host OS updated regularly.
• Use Docker secrets for managing sensitive data (available in Docker Swarm mode).

Conclusion

Running Docker containers on Debian 12 Bookworm is a straightforward process that unlocks a world of possibilities for software development, testing, and deployment. With the stability and long-term support of Debian and the flexibility of Docker, you have a powerful combination at your fingertips.

By following the steps in this guide, you should now have Docker installed and be able to run and manage containers efficiently. Whether you’re deploying a simple web server or a complex multi-container application, Docker offers the tools and ecosystem to do it reliably.

Keep exploring, experiment safely in containers, and consider digging into more advanced Docker topics like Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, volume management, and custom image building.