The right way to install Docker on a Mac

To build, debug, and test Dockerized apps on your macOS machine, you first need to install Docker. Docker is a highly complex product that includes the Docker daemon, Docker client program, and other components. All these components are provided within the official Docker application called Docker Desktop for Mac.

While Docker Desktop for Mac can be downloaded directly from Docker Hub, it is better to install it with a package manager such as Homebrew. With Homebrew, apps can be installed using a single brew install or brew cask install command.

To install Docker Desktop for Mac with Homebrew, run the following command:

brew cask install docker

This command installs the stable community edition of Docker Desktop through Homebrew Cask. The Docker Desktop installation includes Docker Engine, Docker CLI client, Docker Compose, Kubernetes, and a few other components.

Once this is done, launch the Docker app to finish the installation. This will make the docker command available in your PATH by creating a symlink in /usr/local/bin.

To test your installation, run:

docker version

This should print the Docker version information. If you encounter problems, check the official Docker documentation, GitHub issues, or the Docker Desktop forum.