---
description: Step-by-step instructions for installing the Docker Compose plugin on Linux using a package repository or manual method.
keywords: install docker compose linux, docker compose plugin, docker-compose-plugin linux, docker compose v2, docker compose manual install, linux docker compose
toc_max: 3
title: Install the Docker Compose plugin
linkTitle: Plugin
aliases:
- /compose/install/compose-plugin/
weight: 10
---

This page contains instructions on how to install the Docker Compose plugin on Linux from the command line.

To install the Docker Compose plugin on Linux, you can either:
- [Set up Docker's repository on your Linux system](#install-using-the-repository).
- [Install manually](#install-the-plugin-manually).

> [!NOTE]
>
> These instructions assume you already have Docker Engine and Docker CLI installed and now want to install the Docker Compose plugin. 

## Install using the repository

1. Set up the repository. Find distribution-specific instructions in:

    [Ubuntu](/manuals/engine/install/ubuntu.md#install-using-the-repository) |
    [CentOS](/manuals/engine/install/centos.md#set-up-the-repository) |
    [Debian](/manuals/engine/install/debian.md#install-using-the-repository) |
    [Raspberry Pi OS](/manuals/engine/install/raspberry-pi-os.md#install-using-the-repository) |
    [Fedora](/manuals/engine/install/fedora.md#set-up-the-repository) |
    [RHEL](/manuals/engine/install/rhel.md#set-up-the-repository).

2. Update the package index, and install the latest version of Docker Compose:

    * For Ubuntu and Debian, run:

        ```console
        $ sudo apt-get update
        $ sudo apt-get install docker-compose-plugin
        ```
    * For RPM-based distributions, run:

        ```console
        $ sudo yum update
        $ sudo yum install docker-compose-plugin
        ```

3.  Verify that Docker Compose is installed correctly by checking the version.

    ```console
    $ docker compose version
    ```

### Update Docker Compose

To update the Docker Compose plugin, run the following commands:

* For Ubuntu and Debian, run:

    ```console
    $ sudo apt-get update
    $ sudo apt-get install docker-compose-plugin
    ```
* For RPM-based distributions, run:

    ```console
    $ sudo yum update
    $ sudo yum install docker-compose-plugin
    ```

## Install the plugin manually

> [!WARNING]
>
> Manual installations don’t auto-update. For ease of maintenance, use the Docker repository method.

1.  To download and install the Docker Compose CLI plugin, run:

    ```console
    $ DOCKER_CONFIG=${DOCKER_CONFIG:-$HOME/.docker}
    $ mkdir -p $DOCKER_CONFIG/cli-plugins
    $ curl -SL https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/{{% param "compose_version" %}}/docker-compose-linux-x86_64 -o $DOCKER_CONFIG/cli-plugins/docker-compose
    ```

    This command downloads and installs the latest release of Docker Compose for the active user under `$HOME` directory.

    To install:
    - Docker Compose for _all users_ on your system, replace `~/.docker/cli-plugins` with `/usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins`.
    - A different version of Compose, substitute `{{% param "compose_version" %}}` with the version of Compose you want to use.
    - For a different architecture, substitute `x86_64` with the [architecture you want](https://github.com/docker/compose/releases).   


2. Apply executable permissions to the binary:

    ```console
    $ chmod +x $DOCKER_CONFIG/cli-plugins/docker-compose
    ```
    or, if you chose to install Compose for all users:

    ```console
    $ sudo chmod +x /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
    ```

3. Test the installation.

    ```console
    $ docker compose version
    ```

## What's next?

- [Understand how Compose works](/manuals/compose/intro/compose-application-model.md)
- [Try the Quickstart guide](/manuals/compose/gettingstarted.md)