How to Install Portainer with Docker Compose

Posted on by Noah Belkacem

Introduction

Portainer is a lightweight management UI that allows you to manage your Docker containers, images, networks, and volumes with ease. Docker Compose, on the other hand, is a tool that helps you define and run multi-container Docker applications. In this tutorial, we will guide you on how to install Portainer with Docker Compose, combining these two powerful tools to simplify your Docker management tasks.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the installation process, ensure you have the following prerequisites:

Step 1: Create a Docker Compose file

First, we need to create a new directory for your Portainer installation . Open your terminal and run the following commands:

$ mkdir portainer
$ cd portainer

Next, create a new file called docker-compose.yml and open it in a text editor:

$ nano docker-compose.yml

Add the following content to the docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3'
services:
  portainer:
    image: portainer/portainer-ce
    ports:
      - 9000:9000
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - portainer_data:/data
volumes:
  portainer_data:

Save and close the file.

Step 2: Start Portainer

To start Portainer, run the following command in the terminal:

$ docker-compose up -d

This command will download the Portainer image and start the Portainer container in the background.

Step 3: Access Portainer

Once Portainer is running, you can access it through your web browser. Open your browser and enter the following URL:

http://localhost:9000

You should see the Portainer login page.

Step 4: Set up Portainer

On the Portainer login page, create an admin user and password. Choose a username and password that you will remember.

Next, select the local Docker environment and click on the “Connect” button.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some common questions and their answers about Portainer and Docker Compose:

What is Portainer?

Portainer is a lightweight management UI that allows you to manage your Docker containers, images, networks, and volumes with ease. It provides a user-friendly interface that simplifies Docker management tasks. You can learn more about Portainer on its official website.

What is Docker Compose?

Docker Compose is a tool that helps you define and run multi-container Docker applications. With Docker Compose, you can use a YAML file to configure your application’s services, and then start and manage all these services with just a single command. You can learn more about Docker Compose on its official documentation page.

Why should I use Portainer with Docker Compose?

By combining Portainer with Docker Compose, you can simplify the management of your Docker environment. Portainer provides a user-friendly interface for managing Docker containers, and Docker Compose allows you to define and run multi-container Docker applications. This combination makes it easier to manage complex Docker environments.

Additional Tips

Here are some additional tips to help you get the most out of Portainer and Docker Compose:

  • Always keep your Docker and Docker Compose versions up to date. This will ensure that you have the latest features and security updates.
  • Take advantage of Portainer’s user management features. You can create different users with different permissions, which can be useful in a team environment.
  • Use Docker Compose’s service scaling feature to easily scale your applications. You can scale a service up or down with a single command.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to install Portainer with Docker Compose. This combination of tools will simplify the management of your Docker environment, making it easier to manage your Docker containers, images, networks, and volumes. Now that you have Portainer up and running, you can explore its features and start managing your Docker containers with ease.