How to use docker if you are using AWS windows workspace

CK Dev — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:17:16 +0000

Hi everyone,

I know many of you are struggling to get Docker working on your Windows AWS Workspace. One of the easiest and most reliable solutions is to connect your Workspace to a remote Docker host.

An EC2 instance is probably the simplest and most practical option. If your Workspace is running in a private VPC, launch an EC2 instance in the same VPC and install Docker on it.

Install Docker on Amazon Linux 2023:

sudo dnf update -y
sudo dnf install docker -y
sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo usermod -aG docker ec2-user

Verify the installation:

docker version
docker run hello-world

From your AWS Workspace, create a Docker context that connects to the EC2 instance over SSH:

docker context create workspace-ec2 \
  --docker "host=ssh://ec2-user@<EC2_PRIVATE_IP>"

Switch to the new context:

docker context use workspace-ec2

Verify that Docker commands are being executed on the EC2 instance:

docker ps
docker images
docker run hello-world

You can check the active context at any time:

docker context ls

To switch back:

docker context use default

Some benefits of this approach:

No need to install or troubleshoot Docker Desktop on the Workspace.
Containers run on EC2, so Workspace resources remain available for development tools.
Better performance and scalability.
Works well with VS Code, IntelliJ IDEA, and other Docker-enabled IDEs.
Easy to upgrade by simply resizing the EC2 instance.

I've been using this setup successfully, and it has been far more reliable than trying to run Docker directly on a Windows AWS Workspace. If anyone is interested, I can also share steps for configuring Docker Compose, VS Code Remote Development, and IntelliJ integration with the remote Docker host.

DEV Community: CK Dev

How to use docker if you are using AWS windows workspace