Docker Compose has long been the secret sauce behind orchestrating multi-container Docker applications, especially in development or single server systems where swarm might be an overkill. With Compose V2, the experience just got smoother. Unlike the standalone docker-compose binary of the past, Compose V2 is now natively integrated into the Docker CLI — making it faster, more consistent, and easier to maintain.
No more juggling between two command-line tools. Now, everything is neatly under the docker umbrella:
Kj [/.] Sreekumar programs computers as a hobby and profession. Into programming from his school days, Sree uses Codemarvels to key in facts and fixes he finds interesting while working on different projects. Some of the articles here give away a few shades of his philosophical leanings too.
docker compose up
Yes — no hyphen. Just power.
Here’s how to install it if you are on older Ubuntu desktops.
Step 1: Remove Old Docker Versions (Clean Slate)
To avoid conflicts and ensure you’re using the freshest stack, let’s purge the old Docker setup:
sudo systemctl stop docker docker.socket sudo apt-get purge -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-compose-plugin docker-compose sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker /var/lib/containerd /etc/docker sudo apt-get autoremove -y
Step 2: Install the Latest Docker + Compose V2
Here’s how to set up the newest Docker Engine and Compose plugin from the official Docker repositories:
# Setup repository sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/$(. /etc/os-release && echo "$ID")/gpg | \ sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg echo \ "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] \ https://download.docker.com/linux/$(. /etc/os-release && echo "$ID") \ $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | \ sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null # Install the full stack sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin
✅ Step 3: Confirm It’s Working
Make sure Docker and Compose are installed and functional:
docker version docker compose version
💡 Why Compose V2 is a Big Deal
- Unified CLI – No need to install and manage a separate binary.
- Better performance – Tighter integration with Docker internals.
- Improved support for new Docker features – BuildKit, GPU support, secrets, and more.
- Plugin architecture – Clean, modular upgrades in future versions.
- Cross-platform – Works out of the box with Docker Desktop on macOS/Windows, and with CLI on Linux.
Kj [/.] Sreekumar programs computers as a hobby and profession. Into programming from his school days, Sree uses Codemarvels to key in facts and fixes he finds interesting while working on different projects. Some of the articles here give away a few shades of his philosophical leanings too.