Docker Desktop for Linux on Ubuntu 22.04

So, Docker Desktop for Linux (Beta) is here, so is Ubuntu 22.04 (Beta).

Docker Desktop for Linux (Beta)

Docker Desktop for Linux is around since early 2022, but we still have to bear a bit longer before the official version is out. As the official documentation says, it is only available on:

• Debian
• Ubuntu 21.04
• Ubuntu 21.10

But it also works on Ubuntu 22.04. Why is it not listed there, because Ubuntu 22.04 does not exist yet.

Ubuntu 22.04 (Beta)

The beta version of Ubuntu 22.04 is also released, 3 weeks prior to the official release. If you want to test it, you can follow this tutorial.

Install Docker Desktop for Linux

I learned about Docker Desktop for Linux at Docker Community All Hands #5. I had Ubuntu 20.04 installed on my machine at the time, and upgraded it to 21.10 over night to test Docker Desktop.

Then recorded all the steps of installing Docker Desktop:

Docker Desktop on Ubuntu 22.04 (Beta on Beta)

The next day Ubuntu 22.04 (Beta) became available. Some stuff that worked on my Ubuntu 20.04 were faulty on 21.10, so I assumed an upgrade to the newest version would fix them (how little I knew).

I installed Ubuntu 22.04 (which was not easy, as the kernel was first damaged, so I booted with an old kernel version and installed the kernel again). And my Docker Desktop for Linux stopped working, as I expected (the official docs had said that much). The old Docker native Docker daemon would not start as well, although it was always Ubuntu-upgrade-proof.

So, I followed the Docker Desktop installation steps again from the very beginning, and after a fresh install Docker Desktop for Linux started working again.

Conclusion

• Docker Desktop for Linux and Ubuntu 22.04 are both beta, they might not work as smoothly as you expect.
• Docker Desktop installation also sets up a few things, so after an OS change you might need to install it again.
• This post was only trying to claim that Docker Desktop works on Ubuntu 22.04. It does not review any of the two products. The reviews might come in future posts.