Install Portainer Docker GUI Tool on AlmaLinux 8: Easy Docker Management

This tutorial guides you through the process to Install Portainer Docker GUI Tool on AlmaLinux 8. Portainer is a user-friendly, lightweight management UI that simplifies the management of your various Docker environments. It provides an intuitive web interface for managing Docker containers and Swarm services.

Portainer offers a streamlined solution for interacting with your Docker infrastructure, providing features like creating and deleting Swarm services, managing user authentication and authorization, connecting to and executing commands within running containers, and accessing container logs. If you’re looking for a visual and simplified way to manage your Docker environment, the Install Portainer Docker GUI Tool on AlmaLinux 8 is an excellent choice.

You can find more information and detailed instructions on the Orcacore website to Install Portainer Docker GUI Tool on AlmaLinux 8.

Before starting, let’s ensure you meet the necessary prerequisites.

Note: If you’re interested in an installation guide for AlmaLinux 9, please see our guide on Portainer Installation Setup on AlmaLinux 9.

Requirements for Portainer Setup

To successfully Install Portainer Docker GUI Tool on AlmaLinux 8, you must be logged into your server as a root user or a non-root user with sudo privileges. If you need help with this, refer to our guide on Initial Server Setup with AlmaLinux 8.

You must also have Docker installed on your server. Follow our guide on Install and Use Docker on AlmaLinux 8 to set this up.

Finally, you’ll need Docker Compose installed. You can find instructions in our guide on Install Docker Compose on AlmaLinux 8.

Once you’ve met these requirements, proceed with the following steps to Install Portainer Docker GUI Tool on AlmaLinux 8.

Portainer Installation on AlmaLinux 8

With the prerequisites in place, you can now begin the installation of Portainer container management on your AlmaLinux 8 server.

Create Docker Volume For Portainer

First, create a Docker volume to store Portainer data. Docker volumes are file systems mounted on Docker containers that preserve data generated by the running container. Execute the following command:

docker volume create data

Verify the volume creation using the command:

docker volume ls

**Output**
DRIVER    VOLUME NAME
local     data

Download and Run Portainer Docker Image

Use the following command to download and run the Portainer Docker image on AlmaLinux 8:

docker run -d -p 8000:8000 -p 9000:9000 --name=portainer --restart=always -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v data:/data portainer/portainer

**Output**
latest: Pulling from portainer/portainer
772227786281: Pull complete
96fd13befc87: Pull complete
0bad1d247b5b: Pull complete
b5d1b01b1d39: Pull complete
Digest: sha256:47b064434edf437badf7337e516e07f64477485c8ecc663ddabbe824b20c672d
Status: Downloaded newer image for portainer/portainer:latest
780d7a389480c7a7d30401222d86ca7ce03b7c1d875825f49f50c8eb9accfa76

Check Portainer Status

Verify that Portainer is running correctly using the following command:

docker ps

**Output**
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE                 COMMAND        CREATED          STATUS          PORTS                                                                                            NAMES
780d7a389480   portainer/portainer   "/portainer"   20 seconds ago   Up 19 seconds   0.0.0.0:8000->8000/tcp, :::8000->8000/tcp, 0.0.0.0:9000->9000/tcp, :::9000->9000/tcp, 9443/tcp   portainer

Access Portainer Docker GUI on AlmaLinux 8

Your Portainer Docker GUI should now be running on port 9000 on your AlmaLinux 8 server. Access it through your web browser by entering your server’s IP address followed by 9000:

http://your-server-ip:9000

On the initial screen, create an administrator user.

You will then be presented with the Portainer dashboard.

The Dashboard page provides an overview of your operational environment with key statistics. Click on the components to get more information.

For comprehensive details, refer to the Official Docs Page .

Conclusion

You have now successfully learned to Install Portainer Docker GUI Tool on AlmaLinux 8. This tool will dramatically simplify how you manage and interact with your Docker containers and environments.

Also, you may like to read the following articles:

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High-Performance Computing and Artificial Intelligence in AlmaLinux

Install Syncthing file synchronization AlmaLinux 9

Alternative Solutions for Managing Docker Containers on AlmaLinux 8

While Portainer offers a convenient GUI for managing Docker, there are other ways to achieve similar functionality. Here are two alternative solutions:

1. Using Docker Compose Directly

Docker Compose, which is a prerequisite for the original solution, can be used directly to manage multi-container applications. While it doesn’t provide a full GUI, it offers a declarative way to define and manage your Docker services.

Explanation:

Docker Compose uses a YAML file (docker-compose.yml) to define your application’s services, networks, and volumes. You can then use the docker-compose command to start, stop, and manage the entire application stack. This is especially useful for complex applications with multiple interacting containers. It requires a command-line interface, but provides repeatability and version control.

Example:

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

version: "3.9"
services:
  web:
    image: nginx:latest
    ports:
      - "80:80"
    volumes:
      - ./html:/usr/share/nginx/html
  db:
    image: postgres:13
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: example
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: examplepassword
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  db_data:

In this example:

• We define two services: web (an Nginx web server) and db (a PostgreSQL database).
• The web service maps port 80 of the container to port 80 on the host. It also mounts a local directory ./html to the Nginx document root.
• The db service sets environment variables for the database user and password. It also uses a named volume db_data to persist the database data.

To start the application, run:

docker-compose up -d

This command will build and start the services defined in the docker-compose.yml file in detached mode (-d). To stop the application, run:

docker-compose down

This will stop and remove the containers, networks, and volumes defined in the docker-compose.yml file. For advanced usage, consider using docker compose pull to update images before running up, or docker compose logs to view logs from all services.

2. Using Docker API with a Scripting Language (e.g., Python)

You can directly interact with the Docker API using a scripting language like Python. This provides more programmatic control over your Docker environment, allowing you to automate tasks and build custom management tools.

Explanation:

The Docker API allows you to manage containers, images, networks, and volumes programmatically. Python provides libraries like docker to easily interact with this API. This approach offers the most flexibility, allowing you to create scripts tailored to your specific needs. However, it requires programming knowledge and a deeper understanding of the Docker API.

Example:

First, install the docker Python library:

pip install docker

Then, create a Python script (e.g., docker_manager.py):

import docker

client = docker.from_env()

def list_containers():
  """Lists all running containers."""
  containers = client.containers.list()
  for container in containers:
    print(f"Container ID: {container.id}, Name: {container.name}, Status: {container.status}")

def start_container(container_name):
  """Starts a container by name."""
  try:
    container = client.containers.get(container_name)
    container.start()
    print(f"Container '{container_name}' started successfully.")
  except docker.errors.NotFound:
    print(f"Container '{container_name}' not found.")
  except docker.errors.APIError as e:
    print(f"Error starting container: {e}")

def stop_container(container_name):
  """Stops a container by name."""
    try:
      container = client.containers.get(container_name)
      container.stop()
      print(f"Container '{container_name}' stopped successfully.")
    except docker.errors.NotFound:
      print(f"Container '{container_name}' not found.")
    except docker.errors.APIError as e:
      print(f"Error stopping container: {e}")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    list_containers()
    start_container("my_container")  # Replace with your container name
    stop_container("my_container") # Replace with your container name

In this script:

• We import the docker library and create a Docker client.
• The list_containers() function lists all running containers, displaying their ID, name, and status.
• The start_container() and stop_container() functions start and stop containers by name, respectively, handling potential errors like the container not being found or API errors.

To run the script:

python docker_manager.py

This script provides basic container management functionalities. You can extend it to perform more complex tasks like creating networks, managing volumes, and building images. Remember to replace "my_container" with the actual name of your container.

These alternative solutions offer different approaches to Docker management, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Choosing the right solution depends on your specific needs and technical expertise. For a visual interface and ease of use, Install Portainer Docker GUI Tool on AlmaLinux 8 remains an excellent choice.