Setup Docker

Overleaf runs on Docker. You must install:

Docker Engine (Docker CE)
Docker Compose plugin (docker compose, v2)

These steps target a recent Ubuntu LTS (20.04/22.04/24.04).

Avoid installing docker.io from Ubuntu’s default apt repository.
Use Docker’s official repository so you get a recent Docker version and the docker compose plugin.

The official document comes from: https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/ubuntu/.

1) Remove old/conflicting packages (if present)

If Docker was previously installed from another source, remove it first:

sudo apt remove $(dpkg --get-selections docker.io docker-compose docker-compose-v2 docker-doc podman-docker containerd runc | cut -f1)

This command is safe if some packages are not installed.

2) Add Docker’s official apt repository

Install prerequisites:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl

Add the Docker GPG key:

sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc

Add the repository:

# Add the repository to Apt sources:
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.sources <<EOF
Types: deb
URIs: https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu
Suites: $(. /etc/os-release && echo "${UBUNTU_CODENAME:-$VERSION_CODENAME}")
Components: stable
Signed-By: /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
EOF

sudo apt update

3) Install Docker Engine + Compose plugin

Install Docker and the Compose plugin:

sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Start Docker on boot:

sudo systemctl enable --now docker

4) Verify the installation

These commands should run without errors:

docker --version
docker compose version
sudo docker run --rm hello-world
docker ps

5) (Optional) Run Docker without sudo

Add your user to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Then log out and back in, or run:

newgrp docker

Now this should work without sudo:

docker ps

The docker group has root-equivalent access on the host.
This is expected for typical Overleaf installs, and especially relevant if you enable Sandboxed Compiles.

Next step

Once Docker is working, continue with the Toolkit installation steps in Using the Toolkit.

Overview

Installation

Configuration

Maintenance

User and project management

Support

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