Introduction

This tutorial aims to guide you through the process of installing Docker on your system. Docker is a powerful tool that allows developers to create, deploy, and run applications conveniently using containers. By the end of this tutorial, you will have Docker installed and ready to use on your system.

Prerequisites: This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of your operating system's terminal or command line interface.

Step-by-Step Guide

Installing Docker on Windows

1. Go to Docker Hub at https://hub.docker.com/editions/community/docker-ce-desktop-windows/.
2. Click the "Get Docker" button to download the Docker Desktop installer.
3. Once the installer is downloaded, double-click Docker Desktop Installer.exe to start the installation.
4. Follow the instructions in the installation wizard to accept the license, authorize the installer, and proceed with the install.
5. When prompted, authorize Docker.app with your system password during the install process.
6. Click "Finish" on the setup complete dialog and launch Docker.

Installing Docker on Mac

1. Go to Docker Hub at https://hub.docker.com/editions/community/docker-ce-desktop-mac/.
2. Click the "Get Docker" button to download Docker Desktop for Mac.
3. Double-click Docker.dmg to open the installer, then drag the Docker icon to the Applications folder.
4. Double-click Docker.app in the Applications folder to start Docker. You will be asked to provide your system password.

Installing Docker on Linux (Ubuntu)

1. Update your existing list of packages: sudo apt update.
2. Install a few prerequisite packages which let apt use packages over HTTPS: sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common.
3. Add the GPG key for the official Docker repository to your system: curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -.
4. Add the Docker repository to APT sources: sudo add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable".
5. Update the package database with the Docker packages from the newly added repo: sudo apt update.
6. Make sure you are about to install from the Docker repo instead of the default Ubuntu repo: apt-cache policy docker-ce.
7. Finally, install Docker: sudo apt install docker-ce.

Summary

In this tutorial, we went through the process of installing Docker on Windows, Mac, and Linux (Ubuntu specifically). Now, you are ready to start using Docker for containerizing your applications.

For further learning, consider exploring Docker's official documentation and tutorials. They provide a great starting point for understanding how to create and manage your Docker images and containers.

Practice Exercises

1. Exercise: Verify your Docker installation by running the docker run hello-world command in your terminal. This command will download a test image and run it in a container. If you see a welcome message from Docker, this means that Docker was installed correctly.

Solution: Open your terminal or command line interface and type docker run hello-world. You should see a message that your Docker installation appears to be working correctly.

1. Exercise: Dockerize a simple web application. Find a basic web application, create a Dockerfile for it, and run it in a Docker container.

Solution: The solution will depend on the web application you chose. However, the general steps will involve creating a Dockerfile with the necessary commands to set up and run your web application, building a Docker image from this Dockerfile, and running this image in a Docker container.

Remember, practice is key when learning new technologies. The more you use Docker, the more comfortable you will become with it. Happy Docking!