Hey everyone! I'm currently using Docker Desktop on Ubuntu 24.04, but I've noticed that the GUI consumes a lot of RAM. Is there a way to run just the Docker Engine in the background without needing to start the Docker Desktop GUI? I'm mainly using the CLI tools like Docker and Docker Compose. Whenever I close the GUI, 'docker ps' stops working. Is this normal, or is there a way to run it in a headless mode? I appreciate any help!
2 Answers
Just a heads-up, the Docker Desktop installer points you towards the GUI version, but you just need the Docker Engine. The instructions on the Docker site for Ubuntu are what you’re looking for.
You can definitely run just the Docker Engine without the Desktop app. Check out the Docker Engine installation guide for Ubuntu. Once you install it, you can configure it to run automatically without having Docker Desktop open. It's pretty straightforward!
Thanks! I followed the instructions and got it set up to run automatically without needing Docker Desktop open.
Thanks for the clarification!