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Docker Installation and Post-Install Configuration

#homelab#docker#linux

Intro

Docker is a core part of my homelab infrastructure. I run it on multiple host machines, and I prefer rootless Docker when possible to contain permissions and reduce surface area. This post covers my installation process and post-installation configuration steps that I use across my environment.

Standard Docker Installation

The official Docker documentation provides the most reliable installation path for different Linux distributions:

Docker Engine Installation Guide

Follow the steps for your specific distro. I typically use the convenience script for standardized Ubuntu and Debian hosts, though the manual repository method is equally valid depending on your security posture.

Rootless Docker

Rootless Docker runs the daemon without root privileges, which is a significant security win for homelab environments. It limits the blast radius if the daemon is compromised.

Installation Considerations

Reference material:

One important caveat: Rootless Docker does not work well under WSL2 because the kernel modules required by the installation script (like iptables modules) cannot be loaded in that environment. I’ve found this is a platform limitation worth knowing upfront.

When running on native Linux, the rootless setup handles most of the configuration automatically through the install script.

Post-Installation Setup

After Docker is installed, I apply a few standard post-install configurations:

Docker Post-Install Configuration Guide

Manage Docker as Non-Root User

Create a docker group and add your user:

sudo groupadd docker
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Then log out and back in (or use newgrp docker) to apply group membership changes.

Configure Log Rotation

By default, Docker logs can consume disk space quickly. I configure JSON file logging with rotation to keep things under control:

{
  "log-driver": "json-file",
  "log-opts": {
    "max-size": "10m",
    "max-file": "10"
  }
}

Save this to /etc/docker/daemon.json and restart Docker:

sudo systemctl restart docker

Then verify:

docker info | grep Logging

This configuration limits each container’s logs to a 10MB file, keeping a maximum of 10 rotated files per container. It removes the burden of manual cleanup and prevents runaway disk usage.

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