Docker — Install and Use Containers

Enables OpenClaw (and Cursor) to install Docker and use it reliably. Base all guidance on official Docker docs; when in doubt, fetch from canonical URLs below.

When to Apply

• User wants to install Docker (macOS, Linux, Windows)
• User asks about containers, images, Dockerfile, docker compose
• Building, running, or debugging Docker commands or workflows
• User asks for "latest Docker docs" or "how do I use Docker"

When running inside Docker Test: The test container already has the Docker CLI and the host socket mounted. Use

docker

directly to create, run, stop, and remove containers; do not try to install Docker or use sudo. See LEARNINGS.md (Integration with Docker Test).

Canonical Documentation URLs

Purpose	URL
Get started / overview	https://docs.docker.com/get-started/overview/
Get Docker (install)	https://docs.docker.com/get-started/get-docker/
Develop with containers	https://docs.docker.com/get-started/introduction/develop-with-containers/
Guides	https://docs.docker.com/guides/
Manuals (install, config, use)	https://docs.docker.com/manuals/
Reference (CLI, Dockerfile, API)	https://docs.docker.com/reference/
Engine install (Linux)	https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/
Docker Desktop Mac	https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/mac-install/
Docker CLI reference	https://docs.docker.com/reference/cli/docker/
Dockerfile reference	https://docs.docker.com/reference/dockerfile/

Rule: For install steps, CLI syntax, or Dockerfile instructions, fetch the relevant doc URL and use that content. Do not rely on training data for version-specific install or command details.

---

Installation

Install Docker on the host so the

docker

CLI and daemon are available. After install, ensure the daemon is running (

docker run hello-world

).

Installation (reliable paths)

macOS

Recommended: Docker Desktop

1. Download from official docs: Install Docker Desktop on Mac.
   • Apple Silicon:

     https://desktop.docker.com/mac/main/arm64/Docker.dmg

   • Intel:

     https://desktop.docker.com/mac/main/amd64/Docker.dmg

2. Open

   Docker.dmg

   , drag Docker to Applications, then open Docker.app and accept terms.
3. CLI install (optional): After downloading the DMG:

   sudo hdiutil attach Docker.dmg
   sudo /Volumes/Docker/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/install
   sudo hdiutil detach /Volumes/Docker
   

4. Verify:

   docker run hello-world

OpenClaw / automation: If

docker

is missing and the user is on macOS, suggest installing via Homebrew:

brew install --cask docker

, then starting Docker Desktop so the daemon is running.

Linux (Ubuntu example)

1. Prefer Docker Engine from apt (see Install Docker Engine on Ubuntu).
2. Remove conflicting packages first:

   sudo apt remove $(dpkg --get-selections docker.io docker-compose docker-compose-v2 docker-doc podman-docker containerd runc 2>/dev/null | cut -f1)
   

3. Add Docker’s apt repo, then:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin
   sudo systemctl start docker
   sudo docker run hello-world
   

4. Optional (run without sudo): Linux postinstall — add user to

   docker

   group.

Convenience script (dev/test only):

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh && sudo sh get-docker.sh

. Not recommended for production.

Windows

Use Get Docker and follow Docker Desktop for Windows (WSL2 backend recommended).

---

Core Workflow: Build and Run

1. Dockerfile in app directory (see reference.md or Dockerfile reference). If any path in COPY has spaces, quote it (e.g.

   COPY . "/app/Docker Skill"

   ).
2. Build image:

   docker build -t <name> .

3. Run container:

   docker run -d -p HOST_PORT:CONTAINER_PORT <name>

   (e.g.

   -p 127.0.0.1:3000:3000

   ).
4. List containers:

   docker ps

   (running),

   docker ps -a

   (all).
5. Stop/remove:

   docker stop <container>

   ,

   docker rm <container>

   .

Example from official getting-started:

docker build -t getting-started .
docker run -d -p 127.0.0.1:3000:3000 getting-started
# Open http://localhost:3000

Usage examples

• Run a one-off command and remove the container:

  docker run --rm alpine echo "Hello from Alpine"
  

• Create, run, then stop and remove a named container:

  docker run --name my-test alpine echo "test"
  docker stop my-test
  docker rm my-test
  

• Pull an image, run a minimal container, then remove container and image:

  docker run --name hello hello-world
  docker rm hello
  docker rmi hello-world
  

• Build and run a web app (port mapping):

  docker build -t myapp .
  docker run -d -p 127.0.0.1:3000:3000 myapp
  docker ps
  docker stop <container_id>
  docker rm <container_id>
  

• Compose (multi-service):

  docker compose up -d
  docker compose logs -f
  docker compose down
  

---

Daemon Must Be Running

• Docker Desktop (Mac/Windows): Ensure Docker Desktop app is running;

  docker

  CLI talks to its daemon.
• Colima (macOS): If using Colima instead of Docker Desktop, set

  DOCKER_HOST

  (e.g.

  unix://$HOME/.colima/default/docker.sock

  ) so the CLI and scripts find the daemon.
• Linux:

  sudo systemctl start docker

  (and

  enable

  if needed).
• If the user sees "Cannot connect to the Docker daemon", direct them to start Docker Desktop or the engine service and try again.

---

Quick Reference

• Images:

  docker pull <image>

  ,

  docker images

  ,

  docker rmi <image>

• Containers:

  docker run

  ,

  docker ps

  ,

  docker stop

  ,

  docker rm

  ,

  docker logs <container>

• Compose:

  docker compose up -d

  ,

  docker compose down

  — use

  compose.yaml

  in project root (see Compose file reference).
• Cleanup:

  docker system prune -a

  (removes unused images/containers/networks; use with care).

Volume mounts

When using

-v HOST:CONTAINER

, use stable host paths (e.g. a directory under the project or skill root). Avoid temporary directories (e.g. from

mktemp

); they may not mount reliably in some environments (sandboxes, CI, remote Docker). See LEARNINGS.md.

Additional Resources

• For detailed CLI and Dockerfile syntax, see reference.md.
• For full specs, fetch from the official reference and guides.
• For volume-mount and environment learnings, see LEARNINGS.md.