Gremoire

Advanced Guide: Installing Docker on Windows Using WSL2 + Ubuntu ​

Running Docker on Windows can be done in two main ways: using Docker Desktop or by installing Docker directly inside WSL2.
This guide covers the advanced method — installing Docker natively inside WSL2 (Ubuntu) while controlling it from both Linux and Windows PowerShell.

This method gives you:

  • Better performance (no extra VM overhead).
  • Full Linux-native Docker Engine.
  • Freedom from Docker Desktop licensing.
  • Flexibility to use Docker CLI from either Windows or WSL.

1. Prerequisites ​

  • Windows 10/11 with WSL2 enabled
  • Installed Ubuntu distribution from the Microsoft Store
  • PowerShell with administrator rights

Check WSL version:

powershell
wsl --list --verbose

Ensure your distro is version 2. If not, convert it:

powershell
wsl --set-version Ubuntu 2

2. Install Docker Engine Inside WSL (Ubuntu) ​

Open your Ubuntu terminal in WSL and run:

bash
# Update packages
sudo apt update

# Install dependencies
sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

# Add Docker’s official GPG key
sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg |   sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

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

# Install Docker Engine
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

Enable service:

bash
sudo service docker start

(Optional) Run without sudo:

bash
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Then restart your WSL session.

Test inside WSL:

bash
docker ps

3. Allow Windows CLI to Talk to WSL Docker ​

Option A: Quick (via socat bridge) ​

Run this inside WSL:

bash
sudo apt install -y socat
nohup socat TCP-LISTEN:2375,fork,reuseaddr UNIX-CONNECT:/var/run/docker.sock >/dev/null 2>&1 &

Now your Docker daemon is exposed at tcp://127.0.0.1:2375.

From PowerShell (Windows):

powershell
docker -H tcp://127.0.0.1:2375 ps

Option B: Permanent (systemd override) ​

Instead of running socat, you can configure dockerd to listen directly on localhost:2375.

Create override file:

bash
sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/docker.service.d/override.conf

Paste:

ini
[Service]
ExecStart=
ExecStart=/usr/bin/dockerd   -H unix:///var/run/docker.sock   -H tcp://127.0.0.1:2375   --containerd=/run/containerd/containerd.sock

Reload & restart:

bash
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart docker

Check port:

bash
ss -tuln | grep 2375

4. Configure Docker Context on Windows ​

On Windows PowerShell:

powershell
docker context create wsl-docker --description "Docker in WSL2" --docker "host=tcp://127.0.0.1:2375"
docker context use wsl-docker

Now you can simply run:

powershell
docker ps

And it will connect to Docker Engine inside WSL.

5. Security Considerations ​

  • Always bind to 127.0.0.1, not 0.0.0.0, to prevent exposing Docker to your LAN.
  • For production or multi-user setups, enable TLS certificates if you expose TCP.
  • If you only need Windows CLI access, prefer the socat bridge (simpler and safer).

- Summary ​

By following this guide, you’ve set up:

  • A native Docker Engine running inside WSL2 Ubuntu.
  • The ability to manage containers from both WSL and Windows PowerShell.
  • A flexible setup without Docker Desktop.

This is the developer-friendly, advanced method of running Docker on Windows — leaner, faster, and under your full control.