Docker Configuration for Non-Privileged Users on Linux

This guide explains how to configure Docker on Linux so that containers—including the spkg container—can be built and executed without requiring superuser (sudo) privileges.

1. Install Docker Engine

You can install Docker using one of two options:

Option A – Install Using the docker.io Package

This is the simplest method and uses the version provided by your distribution:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker.io

Option B – Install the Latest Official Docker Version

For the most up-to-date Docker release, refer to the official Docker documentation.

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2. Verify Docker Operation

Start the Docker service and confirm it's running:

sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker
docker version

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3. Configure User Access to Docker

Add your user to the docker group so Docker can run without sudo:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

After running the above command, log out and back in, or run:

newgrp docker

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4. Validate Non-Privileged Docker Usage

Check that Docker runs without sudo:

docker ps

You should see an empty list or container table headers—without errors.

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5. Verify docker-compose Installation

Docker Compose can be installed in two ways—legacy (docker-compose) or as a modern plugin (docker compose):

docker-compose version      # Legacy v1
# or
docker compose version      # Modern plugin v2

If not installed, do so using:

sudo apt install docker-compose           # For legacy v1
sudo apt install docker-compose-plugin    # For plugin v2

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6. Running spkg Without sudo

With the configuration complete, you can now use spkg without superuser privileges:

./spkg/spkg compose                  # Build the Docker image
./spkg/spkg -p ./my_project bin      # Compile your project

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Optional: Verify Docker Socket Permissions

Ensure Docker socket has the correct permissions:

ls -l /var/run/docker.sock

Expected output:

srw-rw---- 1 root docker ...

If needed, fix the ownership and permissions:

sudo chown root:docker /var/run/docker.sock
sudo chmod 660 /var/run/docker.sock