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SubZeroDev

Professional uncertainty since 2026.

Well… Why not?

Getting Started with Docker on Windows 11

· 3 min read
SubZeroDev

This guide walks you from zero → running containers on Windows 11. No prior Docker knowledge needed.

We’ll cover:

  • What Docker is (in plain English)
  • Setting up WSL (required)
  • Installing Docker Desktop using winget
  • Running your first container
  • Using Portainer as a visual UI
  • Core concepts you actually need

🧠 What is Docker (and why should you care?)​

Docker lets you run applications in containers — lightweight, isolated environments that include everything the app needs to run.

Instead of:

"It works on my machine"

You get:

"It works anywhere Docker runs"

🧱 How Docker Works (Simplified)​

flowchart LR
    A[Your App] --> B[Docker Container]
    B --> C[Docker Engine]
    C --> D[WSL2 Linux Kernel]
    D --> E[Windows 11]

Key idea:

  • Docker uses Linux under the hood
  • On Windows → this is handled by WSL2

⚙️ Step 1 — Install WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)​

Docker Desktop depends on WSL.

Run this in PowerShell (Admin):​

wsl --install

This will:

  • Enable WSL
  • Install a Linux distro (usually Ubuntu)
  • Set WSL2 as default

Then restart your PC​

Verify WSL is working:​

wsl --status

You should see:

  • Default Version: 2

🐳 Step 2 — Install Docker Desktop using Winget​

Run:​

winget install -e --id Docker.DockerDesktop

After installation:​

  1. Launch Docker Desktop
  2. Accept the license
  3. Let it finish setup (it may restart WSL)

Verify Docker is running:​

docker --version

🚀 Step 3 — Run Your First Container​

Let’s run the classic test:

docker run hello-world

What just happened?​

sequenceDiagram
    participant You
    participant Docker
    participant DockerHub
    participant Container

    You->>Docker: run hello-world
    Docker->>DockerHub: download image
    DockerHub-->>Docker: image returned
    Docker->>Container: start container
    Container-->>You: success message

If everything worked, you’ll see:

"Hello from Docker!"

📦 Step 4 — Understanding Basic Concepts (No fluff)​

🔹 Image​

A template for a container Example: nginx, postgres, hello-world

Think:

Blueprint

🔹 Container​

A running instance of an image

Think:

A live app created from the blueprint

🔹 Docker Hub​

Public registry where images live

🔹 Volume​

Persistent storage for containers

Without volumes:

Data disappears when container stops

🧰 Step 5 — Install Portainer (Visual UI for Docker)​

Portainer gives you:

  • Web UI
  • Container management
  • Logs, stats, configs

Option A — Docker Desktop Extension (Easiest)​

  1. Open Docker Desktop
  2. Go to Extensions Marketplace
  3. Search for Portainer
  4. Click Install

Option B — Run Portainer manually​

docker volume create portainer_data

docker run -d `
  -p 9000:9000 `
  --name portainer `
  --restart=always `
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock `
  -v portainer_data:/data `
  portainer/portainer-ce

Access Portainer​

Open: http://localhost:9000

How Portainer Fits In​

flowchart LR
    A[You] --> B[Portainer UI]
    B --> C[Docker Engine]
    C --> D[Containers]

⚡ Quick Example — Run a Web Server​

docker run -d -p 8080:80 nginx

Then open: http://localhost:8080

🧭 Final Mental Model​

  • Docker = runtime
  • Image = blueprint
  • Container = running app
  • WSL = Linux layer on Windows

✅ You're Done​

You now have:

  • Docker running on Windows 11
  • Your first container executed
  • A UI (Portainer) to manage everything

That’s Docker.