Install Docker Compose on Rocky Linux 10 by adding Docker’s Rocky repository, installing the Compose CLI plugin, and starting a private test container. You can finish the setup and confirm a working Compose project in about ten minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
sudo<\/code> privileges.<\/li>\n\n\n- Outbound HTTPS access to Docker’s package repository and image registry.<\/li>\n\n\n
- A VPSLake Linux VPS<\/a> if you need a Rocky Linux server with root access.<\/li>\n\n\n
- No domain is required for this private test. Use a domain later if you place a public application behind a TLS reverse proxy.<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The commands use sudo<\/code> for a regular SSH account. Rocky Linux 10 uses DNF 5 and firewalld; do not substitute Ubuntu’s apt<\/code> or ufw<\/code> commands.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 1: Confirm Rocky Linux 10 and update the host<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Checking the release and architecture first prevents you from installing packages for the wrong Enterprise Linux version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~bash . \/etc\/os-release printf ‘%s\\n’ “$PRETTY_NAME” printf ‘Version: %s\\n’ “$VERSION_ID” uname -m sudo dnf upgrade -y ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first lines should identify Rocky Linux 10 and a supported 64-bit architecture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~text Rocky Linux 10.x (Red Quartz) Version: 10.x x86_64 ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minor release and number of upgraded packages will vary. Fix any DNS, mirror, or GPG-signature error before adding Docker’s repository.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 2: Remove conflicting container packages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rocky Linux may arrive with Podman or an older Docker package. Removing conflicting runtimes on a new server avoids a package transaction that leaves Docker partially installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Run this only on a fresh or disposable host. If the server already runs Podman containers, inspect and migrate those workloads before removing Podman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~bash sudo dnf remove -y docker \\ docker-client \\ docker-client-latest \\ docker-common \\ docker-latest \\ docker-latest-logrotate \\ docker-logrotate \\ docker-engine \\ podman \\ runc ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DNF may say that some packages are not installed. This command does not remove Docker images, containers, or volumes stored under \/var\/lib\/docker<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 3: Add Docker’s Rocky Linux repository<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Rocky-specific repository provides EL10 builds of Docker Engine, Buildx, and the Compose plugin, while leaving DNF able to receive future updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~bash sudo dnf install -y dnf-plugins-core ca-certificates sudo dnf config-manager –add-repo https:\/\/download.docker.com\/linux\/rocky\/docker-ce.repo sudo dnf makecache dnf repolist –enabled | grep -i docker ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The last command should show Docker’s stable repository, usually named docker-ce-stable<\/code>. Docker documents the repository approach in its RHEL installation guide<\/a>, and the official repository publishes a separate Rocky Linux 10 package stream.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 4: Install Docker Engine and the Compose plugin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Compose v2 is a Docker CLI plugin, so install it with Engine instead of downloading the old hyphenated docker-compose<\/code> binary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n~~~bash sudo dnf install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin sudo systemctl enable –now docker sudo systemctl is-active docker sudo docker version –format ‘Client {{.Client.Version}} \/ Server {{.Server.Version}}’ sudo docker compose version ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A successful check prints an active service and version strings. Exact versions change as Docker releases updates:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~text active Client 29.x \/ Server 29.x Docker Compose version vX.Y.Z ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Run Docker’s disposable smoke test. It pulls a small image, prints a confirmation, and removes the stopped container.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~bash sudo docker run –rm hello-world ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Near the end, expect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~text Hello from Docker! Your installation appears to be working correctly. ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 5: Let your SSH account run Docker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Docker socket is root-owned by default. Add only the account that will administer containers; membership in the docker<\/code> group provides root-equivalent control of the host.<\/p>\n\n\n\nReplace YOUR_LINUX_USER<\/code> with the username used for SSH:<\/p>\n\n\n\n~~~bash sudo usermod -aG docker YOUR_LINUX_USER ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Log out of SSH and reconnect so the new group membership is loaded. Then verify non-root access:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~bash id -nG docker info –format ‘Server {{.ServerVersion}}’ ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group list should contain docker<\/code>, and docker info<\/code> should print the Engine version. You can run newgrp docker<\/code> for a one-shell test, or keep using sudo docker compose<\/code> if you do not want permanent group access. Docker explains the security implications in its Linux post-installation guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 6: Create a private Compose test project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This small Apache service proves that Compose can read a YAML file, mount a host directory with an SELinux label, and publish a web response only on the server’s loopback address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~bash mkdir -p ~\/compose-rocky10\/site cd ~\/compose-rocky10 printf ‘%s\\n’ ‘Rocky Linux 10 Docker Compose is working.’ > site\/index.html ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Create compose.yaml<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n~~~yaml services: web: image: httpd:2.4-alpine restart: unless-stopped ports:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n- “127.0.0.1:8085:80” volumes:<\/li>\n\n\n
- .\/site:\/usr\/local\/apache2\/htdocs:ro,Z<\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The :Z<\/code> suffix gives SELinux a private label for the bind mount. The 127.0.0.1<\/code> binding makes Apache reachable on the VPS itself but not directly from the public network, so this test needs no new firewalld rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStep 7: Render and start the project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Render the configuration before startup so YAML errors are caught without creating a container.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~bash docker compose config –quiet docker compose pull docker compose up -d docker compose ps ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
config --quiet<\/code> should be silent and return status 0. After the image downloads, the service should show as running:<\/p>\n\n\n\n~~~text NAME IMAGE SERVICE STATUS PORTS compose-rocky10-web-1 httpd:2.4-alpine web Up 127.0.0.1:8085->80\/tcp ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The generated container name can differ if you use another directory or set a Compose project name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verify Docker Compose on Rocky Linux 10<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Use an HTTP request, an Apache configuration check, and the Compose status table to prove that the plugin controls the service and the bind mount is readable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~bash curl –fail –silent –show-error http:\/\/127.0.0.1:8085 docker compose exec -T web httpd -t docker compose ps ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first two commands should include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
~~~text Rocky Linux 10 Docker Compose is working. Syntax OK ~~~<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the example listens on loopback, a browser on your workstation cannot reach it directly. To view the page locally, create an SSH tunnel from your workstation with ssh -L 8085:127.0.0.1:8085 USER@SERVER_IP<\/code>, then open http:\/\/127.0.0.1:8085<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n