How to Install Docker Desktop on Linux Mint (Step-by-Step Guide That Works)

If you’ve tried to install Docker Desktop on Linux Mint, you’ve probably realized something:
The official Docker documentation doesn’t fully work on Linux Mint.

I learned this the hard way. After following their steps, I ran into missing dependencies, systemd service issues, and Docker Desktop refusing to launch.

If you’re stuck, save yourself the frustration and follow this process instead.

If you're looking for a short video tutorial, you can check it out 👉️ here.

Table of Contents

• Docker Desktop vs. Docker: What’s the Difference?

• Why the Official Docs Aren’t Enough for Linux Mint

• Install Docker Desktop on Linux Mint (Step-by-Step …

  • 1. Install Required Dependencies

  • 2. Add Docker’s Official Repository

  • 4. Download Docker Desktop

  • 5. Install Docker Desktop

  • 6. Troubleshooting

  • 7. Does Docker Desktop Include Docker Compose?

• Why Use Docker Desktop on Linux Mint?

• Final Thoughts

Docker Desktop vs. Docker: What’s the Difference?

A quick clarification before we start:

• Docker (Docker Engine) is the command-line tool that lets you build, run, and manage containers. It’s what you get when you install Docker using

  sudo apt install docker.io or similar.

• Docker Desktop is a graphical application that includes Docker Engine plus extras like Kubernetes integration, volume management, Docker Compose, and a GUI to manage containers and images.

Until recently, Docker Desktop was only available on Windows and Mac. Now, it officially supports Linux—but the installation isn’t as straightforward as on Ubuntu, and definitely not on Linux Mint.

That’s where the official docs fall short.

Why the Official Docs Aren’t Enough for Linux Mint

When I followed Docker’s official guide, I ran into several issues:

• Missing packages and dependencies

• Kernel modules not preloaded

• Docker Desktop service is not starting because systemd user services weren’t enabled

Linux Mint is Ubuntu-based, but it needs extra steps the docs don’t cover. Here’s what actually worked.

Install Docker Desktop on Linux Mint (Step-by-Step)

1. Install Required Dependencies

First, install the necessary packages:

# Update your package list
sudo apt update

# Install required packages for Docker Desktop
sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release software-properties-common dbus-user-session uidmap

# AppArmor is usually installed on Mint, but just making sure
sudo apt install apparmor apparmor-utils

2. Add Docker’s Official Repository

Add Docker’s GPG key and repository so you get the latest Docker packages:

here It’s worth noting that I am using Jammy Stable instead of Noble Stable because it still has some issues, so, for better stability, go with Jammy.

# Download Docker’s official GPG key and save it so apt trusts Docker’s packages
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/docker.gpg

# Add Docker’s official repository
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture)] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu jammy stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list

# Update apt to include Docker’s repository packages
sudo apt update

4. Download Docker Desktop

Previously you had to mention the version number, but now every upcoming desktop package is referred to as desktop-amd64.deb for the Debian-based systems. It might change in the future; if it doesn’t work, comment on it below, and I will update the code.

# download docker desktop
wget https://desktop.docker.com/linux/main/amd64/docker-desktop-amd64.deb

5. Install Docker Desktop

This line of code will install Docker Desktop, and you can check the Docker version after that.

# Install Docker Desktop from the downloaded .deb file
sudo dpkg -i docker-desktop-amd64.deb

# Check that Docker is installed and running by displaying Docker version info
docker version

6. Troubleshooting

If you receive the error, follow this steps; otherwise, you can skip it.

# If you get an error do this command if not just skip it
sudo apt --fix-broken install

# Install Docker Desktop from the downloaded .deb file
sudo dpkg -i docker-desktop-amd64.deb

7. Does Docker Desktop Include Docker Compose?

Yes—Docker Desktop comes with Docker Compose v2 pre-installed as a Docker CLI plugin.

You can check it by running:

# Check docker compose version
docker compose version

Why Use Docker Desktop on Linux Mint?

If you’re comfortable with Docker’s command-line interface, you may not need Docker Desktop. But if you want

• A graphical interface to manage containers and images

• Built-in Kubernetes integration

• Docker Compose pre-installed

…then Docker Desktop is worth installing.

Final Thoughts

Installing Docker Desktop on Linux Mint is possible—but it takes more than the standard installation guide. By following the steps above, you’ll save yourself time troubleshooting missing services and dependencies.

I wrote this guide after testing these steps and getting them to work on my own Linux Mint system. Hopefully, it saves you the same hassle I went through.

Feel free to share this guide or drop a comment if you have questions!