Install Docker Engine on Arch, configure user access, verify, uninstall.

Install

• Engine (brings in containerd + runc): sudo pacman -S docker

• Buildx + Compose plugins (optional): sudo pacman -S docker-buildx docker-compose

Daemon

The docker.service is not started by default on Arch.

• Enable + start now: sudo systemctl enable --now docker.service

• Status: sudo systemctl status docker.service

User access

You can keep using sudo docker ... or add your user to the docker group (root-equivalent — see security-rootless):

• Add to group: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

• Refresh current shell (or log out + back in): newgrp docker

Verify

• Versions: docker version

• Daemon info (storage/cgroup driver, kernel): docker info

• End-to-end test: docker run --rm hello-world

Daemon config

/etc/docker/daemon.json (create if missing):

{
  "log-driver": "json-file",
  "log-opts": {
    "max-size": "10m",
    "max-file": "3"
  },
  "data-root": "/var/lib/docker"
}

• log-opts caps per-container log file size.
• data-root moves Docker’s storage to another disk.

Apply with sudo systemctl restart docker.

Uninstall

• Stop daemon: sudo systemctl disable --now docker.service

• Remove package(s): sudo pacman -Rns docker docker-buildx docker-compose

• (Optional) wipe data — destroys all images, containers, volumes: sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker /var/lib/containerd

Troubleshooting