In the world of web development, a common problem arises: “It works on my machine!” This classic issue happens when an application runs perfectly on a developer’s computer but fails when deployed to a server. The culprit? Inconsistent environments.
Enter Docker, the revolutionary technology that solves this problem with containerization. And the best place to use it is on a Virtual Private Server (VPS). A VPS provides the perfect balance of flexibility, power, and affordability, giving you a dedicated environment to run your containers without the overhead of a full dedicated server.
At Hosting.International, our VPS hosting solutions are the perfect foundation for a powerful Docker workflow.
What is Docker and Why Should You Use It?
Docker is a tool that allows you to package an application and all its dependencies—like libraries and configuration files—into a single, isolated unit called a container.
Think of a container like a miniature, self-contained computer. It has everything your application needs to run, ensuring it will behave exactly the same way regardless of the environment it’s running in.
Key benefits of using Docker:
- Portability: Your containerized application will run on any system with Docker installed, from your local machine to your VPS server.
- Consistency: Eliminates the “it works on my machine” problem by ensuring a consistent environment.
- Efficiency: Containers are lightweight and start up much faster than traditional virtual machines.
- Scalability: You can easily scale your application by spinning up multiple instances of the same container. This is a core part of DevOps and CI/CD workflows.
Step-by-Step Guide: Installing and Using Docker on Your VPS
Ready to get started? This guide assumes you have a running Linux VPS from Hosting.International and have SSH access.
Step 1: Update Your Server
First, connect to your VPS via SSH and ensure all your system packages are up to date.
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
Step 2: Install Docker Engine
The easiest way to install the latest version of Docker is to use their official installation script.
sudo apt-get install \
apt-transport-https \
ca-certificates \
curl \
gnupg \
lsb-release
curl -fsSL [https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg](https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg) | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg
echo \
"deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] [https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu](https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu) \
$(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io
Step 3: Verify the Installation
To make sure Docker is running correctly, you can run the “hello-world” container.
sudo docker run hello-world
If the installation was successful, you’ll see a message confirming that the container is working correctly.
Step 4: Run Docker Without Sudo (Optional but Recommended)
Running sudo before every Docker command can be tedious. To fix this, you can add your user to the docker group.
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
After running this, log out and log back in to your SSH session for the changes to take effect. You should now be able to run docker run hello-world without sudo.
Step 5: Deploying Your First Application
Now for the exciting part! Let’s deploy a simple web server in a container.
docker run -d -p 80:80 --name my-web-app nginx
Let’s break down this command:
docker run: The command to run a new container.-d: Runs the container in “detached” mode (in the background).-p 80:80: This is the port mapping. It maps Port 80 on your VPS to Port 80 inside the container. This makes your web server accessible to the public.--name my-web-app: Gives your container a readable name.nginx: The name of the image you want to run (in this case, the Nginx web server). Docker will automatically download it from Docker Hub.
After running the command, open your web browser and navigate to your VPS IP address. You should see the default Nginx welcome page. Congratulations, you’ve successfully deployed your first container!
The Future of Your Projects
Learning Docker is a huge step forward in your development journey. It’s the foundation for more advanced topics like container orchestration with tools like Docker Swarm and Kubernetes.
Whether you’re building a simple blog or a complex e-commerce platform, Docker on your VPS provides the flexibility and control you need. Explore our VPS hosting plans today and start building the future of your projects with Hosting.International.