How To Install Docker On Debian 13 In Rootful Mode [Complete Guide]

Docker is one of the most popular containerization platforms, allowing you to run applications in isolated environments. By default, Docker runs in rootful mode, meaning it uses the system's root privileges for managing containers. This setup is best for most users who want better compatibility and fewer configuration issues.

In this guide, you'll learn how to install and configure Docker engine and Docker compose on a clean Debian system using rootful mode.

Why Choose Rootful Docker?

Rootful Docker means the Docker daemon runs as root and manages containers with elevated privileges.

Advantages:

• Full compatibility with most images and applications
• Easier networking and port mapping
• Better integration with system tools

Disadvantages:

• Less secure than rootless mode because the daemon runs with root privileges

Rootful Docker is perfectly okay if:

• You're the only user on the system.
• You run trusted images (e.g., official, verified sources).
• You don’t expose the Docker socket.
• You avoid privileged containers and dangerous capabilities.

This is why many production systems still use rootful Docker.

If security isolation is your top priority, you can later switch to Rootless Docker. We will post a guide about it soon.

Docker Requirements

To install and configure Docker, your system must meet the following minimum requirements.

1. 64 bit Linux or Windows operating systems.
2. If you're on Linux, the Kernel version should be 3.10 or above.
3. An user account with sudo privileges.
4. VT (virtualization technology) support enabled on your system BIOS. [Read: How To Find If A CPU Supports Virtualization Technology (VT)]
5. Your system should be connected to Internet.

Step 1. Update Your System

Keeping your system updated ensures you have the latest security patches.

To update your Debian system, run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2. Uninstall Old Docker Versions (Optional)

Note: If it is freshly installed Debian system, you can skip this step.

If you have previously installed Podman, Docker, or other container runtimes, remove them first:

sudo apt remove -y docker docker-engine docker.io containerd runc podman

sudo apt autoremove -y

Also, delete any leftover repositories:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/podman.list

Step 3. Add the Official Docker Repository

Install dependencies:

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

Add Docker’s GPG key:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/debian/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

Add the 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

In latest Debian 13, it is recommended to modernize the apt sources.

To do so, run:

sudo apt modernize-sources

Update package lists:

sudo apt update

Step 4. Install Docker Engine and Docker Compose on Debian

To install docker engine, docker compose along with all required components in Debian 13, run:

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

This command installs:

• Docker Engine
• Docker CLI
• Docker Compose plugin

Step 5. Enable and Start Docker

Enable the docker service on system startup using commands:

sudo systemctl enable docker

sudo systemctl start docker

Check the service status:

sudo systemctl status docker

Sample Output:

docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/docker.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Tue 2025-09-02 15:46:43 IST; 7min ago
 Invocation: a87449e79b744dbbb36c7bfd131415fc
TriggeredBy: \u25cf docker.socket
       Docs: https://docs.docker.com
   Main PID: 3427 (dockerd)
      Tasks: 9
     Memory: 21.9M (peak: 23.4M)
        CPU: 337ms
     CGroup: /system.slice/docker.service
             /usr/bin/dockerd -H fd:// --containerd=/run/containerd/containerd.sock
[...]

As you can see in the output above, the docker service is loaded and running.

Step 6. Verify Docker Installation

To make sure if Docker is properly installed and working, run the hello-world test container:

sudo docker run hello-world

If successful, you’ll see a confirmation message.

Unable to find image 'hello-world:latest' locally
latest: Pulling from library/hello-world
17eec7bbc9d7: Pull complete 
Digest: sha256:a0dfb02aac212703bfcb339d77d47ec32c8706ff250850ecc0e19c8737b18567
Status: Downloaded newer image for hello-world:latest

Hello from Docker!
This message shows that your installation appears to be working correctly.

To generate this message, Docker took the following steps:
 1. The Docker client contacted the Docker daemon.
 2. The Docker daemon pulled the "hello-world" image from the Docker Hub.
    (amd64)
 3. The Docker daemon created a new container from that image which runs the
    executable that produces the output you are currently reading.
 4. The Docker daemon streamed that output to the Docker client, which sent it
    to your terminal.

To try something more ambitious, you can run an Ubuntu container with:
 $ docker run -it ubuntu bash

Share images, automate workflows, and more with a free Docker ID:
 https://hub.docker.com/

For more examples and ideas, visit:
 https://docs.docker.com/get-started/

Step 7: Check Docker Version

To verify the installed Docker version, run:

sudo docker version

Sample Output:

Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:           28.3.3
 API version:       1.51
 Go version:        go1.24.5
 Git commit:        980b856
 Built:             Fri Jul 25 11:34:13 2025
 OS/Arch:           linux/amd64
 Context:           default

Server: Docker Engine - Community
 Engine:
  Version:          28.3.3
  API version:      1.51 (minimum version 1.24)
  Go version:       go1.24.5
  Git commit:       bea959c
  Built:            Fri Jul 25 11:34:13 2025
  OS/Arch:          linux/amd64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          1.7.27
  GitCommit:        05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da
 runc:
  Version:          1.2.5
  GitCommit:        v1.2.5-0-g59923ef
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

Step 8. Manage Docker Without sudo (Optional)

By default, Docker requires root privileges.

To manage containers without sudo, add your user to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

newgrp docker

Now verify if you can be able to manage docker without using sudo:

docker ps

If no permission errors occur, you’re good to go.

Step 9. Check If Docker Is Running in Rootful Mode

Run:

sudo docker info | grep -i rootless

If you see nothing, Docker is running in rootful mode.

Check who runs the daemon process:

ps aux | grep dockerd

Sample Output:

root        3427  0.0  1.0 2045556 84480 ?       Ssl  15:46   0:00 /usr/bin/dockerd -H fd:// --containerd=/run/containerd/containerd.sock

Here,

• The dockerd process is running as root. So it confirms rootful Docker.
• The daemon is using the system containerd socket: /run/containerd/containerd.sock.

Step 10. Enable Docker Compose

Docker now includes Compose as a plugin:

docker compose version

If you need most recent version, you can download the standalone Compose binary from Docker Compose GitHub official releases page:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/docker/compose/releases/latest | grep tag_name | cut -d '"' -f4)/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

docker-compose --version

Step 11: Getting Started with Docker

After installing you can start deploying your containerized applications in Docker. We have compiled a detailed guide on Docker usage with examples. Please check the following link:

• Getting Started with Docker | Beginners Guide

[Optional] Migrate to Rootless Docker

Rootless mode allows you to run Docker without root privileges for improved security.

A few important benefits of rootless Docker mode are:

• dockerd runs as your normal user.
• Even if a container escapes, it only has user-level access on the host.
• Provides stronger isolation, especially on shared or untrusted environments.

Rootless Docker is worth considering if:

• You're in a multi-user environment.
• You use untrusted images.
• You want stronger defense-in-depth.
• You need to meet strict compliance/security policies.

Please note that rootless Docker isn't a silver bullet, but it makes container breakouts less catastrophic.

If you want maximum isolation and peace of mind, especially when experimenting with third-party images, switch to rootless Docker as explained in the guide below.

• Migrate To Rootless Docker In Debian And Ubuntu Linux

Troubleshooting

1. Old Repository Conflicts

If you accidentally added a Ubuntu repo for Docker on Debian, you can remove it:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list

sudo apt update

And then add the correct repository for your Debian system.

2. Docker Daemon Not Starting

Restart the Docker service and check logs for potential clues:

sudo systemctl restart docker

sudo journalctl -u docker --no-pager

3. Port Conflicts

Make sure the ports you map in containers are not already in use:

sudo ss -tulnp | grep 8000

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

In this step-by-step guide, we learned how to install and configure Docker engine in Rootful mode in latest Debian 13 system. We also covered how to install Docker compose and some common troubleshooting tips.

Suggested Read:

• Setup Docker And Docker Compose With DockSTARTer
• How To Automatically Update Running Docker Containers
• ctop – A Commandline Monitoring Tool For Linux Containers
• Portainer – An Easiest Way To Manage Docker
• PiCluster – A Simple, Web-based Docker Management Application
• Dockly - Manage Docker Containers From Terminal