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Uninstall Docker on Ubuntu

Docker is one of the most widely used containerization platforms. But there may come a time when you need to remove Docker from your system, maybe to free up space, switch to another version, or perform a clean reinstallation.

Step 1: Stop Running Containers

Before removing Docker, it’s recommended to stop all running containers:

docker container stop $(docker container ls -aq)

This ensures no container processes interfere with the uninstall.

Step 2: Remove Docker Containers, Images, and Volumes

To free up space, remove unused containers, images, networks, and volumes:

docker system prune -a --volumes
  • -a removes all unused images.
  • --volumes removes all volumes.

⚠️ Warning: This deletes all Docker data permanently.

Step 3: Uninstall Docker Packages

Remove the Docker packages installed on your system:

sudo apt purge docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin docker-ce-rootless-extras -y

Step 4: Remove Dependencies

Clean up unnecessary dependencies:

sudo apt autoremove -y

Step 5: Delete Docker Data Directories

Docker stores images, containers, and other runtime files in /var/lib/docker and /var/lib/containerd. To completely wipe Docker from your system:

sudo rm -rf /var/lib/{docker,containerd}

Step 6: Verify Removal

Check if Docker has been removed:

docker --version

If Docker was removed successfully, this command will return:

Command 'docker' not found

Conclusion

Whether you’re troubleshooting issues, switching versions, or simply no longer need Docker, these steps ensure a clean removal from your system.

Read More : Install Docker On Ubuntu

0xSnow

0xSnow is a cybersecurity researcher with a focus on both offensive and defensive security. Working with ethical hacking, threat detection, Linux tools, and adversary simulation, 0xSnow explores vulnerabilities, attack chains, and mitigation strategies. Passionate about OSINT, malware analysis, and red/blue team tactics, 0xSnow shares detailed research, technical walkthroughs, and security tool insights to support the infosec community.

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