Install Docker on RHEL 9: Complete Guide (2026)

Here is how to install Docker on RHEL 9. Tested and verified.

Prerequisites

• RHEL 9 installed and updated
• Root or sudo access
• Internet connection

Step 1: Update System

sudo dnf update

Step 2: Add Official Repository

Docker should be installed from the official repository to get the latest stable version and security updates.

# Add the official Docker repository
# Check Docker documentation for the latest repo URL
sudo dnf install -y curl gnupg2

Step 3: Install Docker

sudo dnf install -y docker

Step 4: Verify Installation

docker version

Expected output should show the installed version.

Step 5: Post-Install Configuration

# Enable and start the service (if applicable)
sudo systemctl enable --now docker

# Verify status
sudo systemctl status docker

Troubleshooting

Package Not Found

Make sure the repository was added correctly:

# List configured repositories
dnf repolist

Permission Denied

Ensure your user has the correct group membership:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker

Uninstall

sudo dnf remove -y docker

Related Guides

• Docker Cheat Sheet
• Docker Tutorial
• Docker vs Kubernetes
• Ansible Tutorial

About the Author

I am Luca Berton, AI and Cloud Advisor. Book a consultation to get help with your infrastructure setup.