Run Docker in WSL2 in 5 minutes (via systemd, without Docker Desktop!)

Now WSL2 has systemd support, we can run Docker in WSL without Docker desktop!

TL;DR

1. Ensure /etc/wsl.conf has
   

   [boot]
   systemd=true
   

2. Restart WSL
   

   wsl --shutdown
   wsl --distribution Ubuntu
   

3. Install docker-cli - see my guide

4. Log back into WSL > Profit 💫

Complete Guide

1. Ensure WSL is up-to-date:
   

   wsl --update
   

2. (Optional) Install + configure Ubuntu distro (if you haven't already):
   

   wsl --install Ubuntu
   

3. Configure WSL (assuming "Ubuntu" is your distro):
   

   # Open up "Ubuntu"
   wsl --distribution Ubuntu
   
   # Enable systemd via /etc/wsl.conf
   {
   cat <<EOT
   [boot]
   systemd=true
   EOT
   } | sudo tee /etc/wsl.conf
   
   exit
   

4. Restart WSL:
   

   wsl --shutdown
   wsl --distribution Ubuntu
   

5. Check systemd is running - You should see 'OK: Systemd is running' message:
   

   systemctl --no-pager status user.slice > /dev/null 2>&1 && echo 'OK: Systemd is running' || echo 'FAIL: Systemd not running'
   

6. Install docker-ce (cmds from my post):
   

   # Install Docker
   curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
   echo \
     "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
     $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-compose-plugin
   
   # Install docker-compose
   sudo ln -s /usr/libexec/docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose /usr/bin/docker-compose
   
   # Add yourself to the docker group
   sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
   
   # Exit bash - this is important!!!
   exit
   

7. Re-login (this is important!):
   

   wsl --distribution Ubuntu
   

8. You can now run docker-cli without Docker Desktop 🙂:
   

   docker run --rm -it hello-world
   

Comments

[O'Briat]

Systemd works but docker doesn't start :

journalctl -xeu docker.service
░░ The job identifier is 460 and the job result is failed.
Jan 06 10:33:13 KCI-QXqvRrQSpqN systemd[1]: docker.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Jan 06 10:33:13 KCI-QXqvRrQSpqN systemd[1]: docker.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: http://www.ubuntu.com/support
░░
░░ The unit docker.service has entered the 'failed' state with result 'exit-code'.
Jan 06 10:33:13 KCI-QXqvRrQSpqN systemd[1]: Failed to start Docker Application Container Engine.

I use this workaround for docker :

sudo vi /etc/wsl.conf
...
[boot]
#systemd=true
command = sudo service docker start

[Edemir Santos de Paula]

Does it work with Debian ? Tryied but says systemd is not running.

FAIL: Systemd not running

Edit: I'm using windows 10, and according to this link Systemd needs windows 11.