Completely Uninstall Docker On Mac: Step-by-Step Guide
Table of Contents :
Uninstalling Docker from a Mac can be a necessary process when you are troubleshooting issues, updating to a newer version, or freeing up disk space. Docker is a powerful tool for managing containers, but sometimes users may find themselves needing to remove it completely. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the complete uninstallation of Docker on macOS. 🐳
Understanding Docker on Mac
Before diving into the uninstallation process, it’s important to understand how Docker operates on macOS. Docker Desktop for Mac creates a lightweight virtual machine that runs Linux containers using Apple's hypervisor framework. While this virtualization is efficient, it can also lead to complexities during uninstallation if users aren't aware of all the components involved.
Step 1: Stop Docker
The first step is to stop Docker Desktop. If Docker is running, it may have active processes that need to be terminated before you can uninstall it.
- Click on the Docker icon in the menu bar.
- Select Quit Docker Desktop to exit the application.
Step 2: Remove Docker Desktop Application
Next, you need to remove the Docker Desktop application from your Applications folder.
- Open Finder.
- Navigate to the Applications folder.
- Locate the Docker application.
- Right-click (or Control-click) on Docker and select Move to Trash. 🗑️
Important Note:
Dragging the Docker app to the Trash is not always sufficient; you may need to ensure related files are also removed for a complete uninstallation.
Step 3: Delete Docker Related Files
Once you have removed the main application, you should also clean up additional files and directories that Docker has created. This can include configuration files, caches, and application support data.
Using Terminal to Remove Docker Files
- Open Terminal (found in Applications > Utilities).
- Run the following commands one at a time to remove Docker's directories:
# Remove Docker application support files
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Docker
# Remove Docker preferences
rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.docker.docker.plist
# Remove Docker logs
rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/Docker
# Remove Docker cache files
rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/com.docker.docker
# Remove Docker CLI configurations
rm -rf ~/.docker
Important Note:
Be careful when using the rm -rf command in Terminal. Ensure that you are only deleting the Docker related files, as this command will remove files and directories without warning.
Step 4: Remove Docker Networking
Docker creates its own virtual network interfaces and configurations, which may not be removed by simply uninstalling the application. To remove these configurations, you can run the following commands:
# List Docker's networking components
ifconfig | grep docker
# Remove Docker network interfaces (if any)
sudo ifconfig docker0 down
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker/network
Step 5: Empty Trash
After removing Docker and its related files, the final step is to empty the Trash to reclaim disk space.
- Right-click on the Trash icon in the Dock.
- Select Empty Trash.
Step 6: Verify Uninstallation
To ensure that Docker has been completely removed from your Mac, you can search for any lingering Docker components.
- Open Finder.
- Press Command + F to open the search bar.
- Type Docker and see if there are any remaining files or folders associated with Docker.
- If found, repeat the uninstallation process for those files.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you should have successfully uninstalled Docker from your Mac. Whether you are troubleshooting or just need the extra disk space, complete uninstallation ensures that you can start fresh when you decide to reinstall Docker in the future.
Should you choose to reinstall Docker later, simply download the latest version from the official Docker website and follow the installation instructions. If you encounter any issues during this process, feel free to reach out to the Docker community for assistance! 🚀