What is Docker Desktop and How to Install it on Mac?

Docker Desktop for Mac: An Overview and Installation Guide

Docker Desktop is a powerful platform for building, testing, and deploying applications. It provides an easy way to create and manage containers, which are isolated, lightweight, and portable environments for applications. With Docker Desktop, developers can build applications on their local machines, test them in a controlled environment, and then deploy them to production.

Docker Desktop for Mac is a free download and provides a simple way to get started with containers. This guide will walk you through the process of installing Docker Desktop on your Mac and using it to build and run containers.

Prerequisites

Before you start, you will need to have the following:

A Mac running macOS 10.13.0 or later

A Docker Hub account (if you do not have one, you can sign up for a free account on Docker Hub)

Installing Docker Desktop on Mac

To run a container on Docker Desktop, follow these steps:

Step 1: Download the Docker Desktop for Mac installation file

The first step to installing Docker Desktop on your Mac is to download the installation file. To do this, you must go to the Docker Desktop for Mac download page.

Open a web browser of your choice and navigate to the Docker Desktop for Mac download page.

Once you are on the download page, you will see a "Download for Mac" button. Click on this button to download the Docker Desktop installation file to your computer.

Step 2: Install Docker Desktop on your Mac

The next step is to install Docker Desktop on your Mac. To do this, you will need to double-click the downloaded file to open the Docker Desktop Installer.

Once the installer is open, you will be prompted to follow the on-screen instructions to install Docker Desktop on your Mac. The installation process is straightforward and should only take a few minutes to complete.

Step 3: Start Docker Desktop

Once the installation is complete, Docker Desktop will automatically start. You can confirm that Docker Desktop is running by looking for the Docker icon in your menu bar. If the Docker icon is present, you can click on it to access the Docker Desktop menu.

Running a Container on Docker Desktop

Now that you have installed Docker Desktop on your Mac, it's time to start building and running containers. In this section, we'll show you how to run a pre-built image from Docker Hub, which is a repository of pre-built containers that you can use as a starting point for your own applications.

Here's how to run a container on Docker Desktop:

Open the Docker Desktop application on your Mac.

Search for a container image on Docker Hub that you'd like to run. Docker Hub has a wide range of images available, from basic hello-world images to more complex images for running web applications.

Copy the image name of the image that you'd like to run (e.g. "docker/hello-world").

In the Docker Desktop application, click the "Create Container" button.

In the "Create Container" dialog, paste the image name into the "Image" field.

Click the "Create" button to start the container.

Once the container is running, you can interact with it using the Docker Desktop application. For example, you can inspect the container, view the logs, and stop the container.

Inspecting a Container on Docker Desktop

Inspecting a container on Docker Desktop is a great way to get more information about the container and its configuration. You can use the Docker Desktop application to inspect a container's properties, such as its network settings, environment variables, and file system.

Here's how to inspect a container on Docker Desktop:

In the Docker Desktop application, locate the container that you'd like to inspect.

Right-click the container and select "Inspect".

In the "Inspect Container" dialog, you'll see a wealth of information about the container, including its network settings, environment variables, and file system.

Stopping a Container on Docker Desktop

Stopping a container on Docker Desktop is easy and straightforward. Once you're ready to stop a container, simply right-click the container in the Docker Desktop application and select "Stop". The container will stop running, and its resources will be freed up.