How to Install docker and docker-compose on Alma Linux (Updated for 2026)

Docker is a popular platform for building, shipping, and running applications in containers. Docker Compose is a tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to install Docker and Docker Compose on AlmaLinux.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

A system running AlmaLinux.
A user account with sudo privileges.

Step 1: Update the System (The Hard Way)

First, update the package index and upgrade the installed packages to their latest versions:

sudo dnf update

Step 2: Install Docker

To install Docker, you need to add the Docker repository to your system. Run the following commands to add the repository and install Docker:

sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo=https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo
sudo dnf install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Step 3: Start and Enable Docker

After installing Docker, start the Docker service and enable it to start at boot:

sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

Step 4: Verify Docker Installation

To verify that Docker is installed correctly, run the following command:

#For Docker version
docker --version

#For Docker compose version
docker compose version

You should see output similar to the following:

Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:           29.2.1
 API version:       1.53
 Go version:        go1.25.6
 Git commit:        a5c7197
 Built:             Mon Feb  2 17:18:50 2026
 OS/Arch:           linux/arm64
 Context:           default

Server: Docker Engine - Community
 Engine:
  Version:          29.2.1
  API version:      1.53 (minimum version 1.44)
  Go version:       go1.25.6
  Git commit:       6bc6209
  Built:            Mon Feb  2 17:16:57 2026
  OS/Arch:          linux/arm64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          v2.2.1
  GitCommit:        dea7da592f5d1d2b7755e3a161be07f43fad8f75
 runc:
  Version:          1.3.4
  GitCommit:        v1.3.4-0-gd6d73eb8
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

Docker Compose version v5.0.2

Step 5 (Recommended): Run Docker without `sudo`

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Automate the Installation with a Bash Script (Easy Way)

To automate the installation process, you can use the following bash script:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

# --------------------------------------------------
# Update system
# --------------------------------------------------
sudo dnf -y update

# --------------------------------------------------
# Install prerequisites
# --------------------------------------------------
sudo dnf -y install dnf-plugins-core

# --------------------------------------------------
# Add official Docker repository (CentOS/RHEL compatible)
# --------------------------------------------------
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo

# --------------------------------------------------
# Install Docker Engine + official plugins
# --------------------------------------------------
sudo dnf -y install \
  docker-ce \
  docker-ce-cli \
  containerd.io \
  docker-buildx-plugin \
  docker-compose-plugin

# --------------------------------------------------
# Enable and start Docker
# --------------------------------------------------
sudo systemctl enable --now docker

# --------------------------------------------------
# (Optional) Allow non-root Docker usage
# Uncomment if required
# --------------------------------------------------
# sudo usermod -aG docker "$USER"
# newgrp docker

To use this script, simply copy the code above into a file, for example, install_docker.sh, and make it executable:

chmod +x install_docker.sh

Then, run the script with sudo:

sudo ./install_docker.sh

This script will update your system, install Docker and Docker Compose, and verify the installations.

Conclusion

In this guide, we have shown you how to install Docker and Docker Compose on AlmaLinux. You can now use Docker and Docker Compose to build, ship, and run applications in containers. If you have any questions or run into any issues, feel free to ask for help in the comments below.