Windows
Run Dockerman on Windows with Docker Desktop or the built-in WSL2 Docker Engine.
Windows has two supported Docker paths: Docker Desktop or the built-in WSL2 Docker Engine.
Quick comparison
| Aspect | Docker Desktop | WSL2 Docker Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Required for most businesses | Not required |
| Footprint | Larger install | Small Alpine-based WSL distro |
| Resource usage | Higher, because it runs a VM and services | Lower, because it runs inside WSL2 |
| Setup effort | Standard installer | Automated by Dockerman |
| Support | Fully supported | Fully supported, added in v4.3.0 |
Option A: Docker Desktop
Install Docker Desktop
Download Docker Desktop from docker.com and run the installer.
Make sure Docker Desktop is running
Wait for the whale icon to show that Docker Desktop is running.
Launch Dockerman
Dockerman detects Docker Desktop automatically and connects to it.
Option B: WSL2 Docker Engine
Added in v4.3.0.
Dockerman bundles WSL2 Docker Engine setup, so you do not need Docker Desktop or manual WSL configuration.
Prerequisites
- Windows 10 version 2004 or later, or Windows 11.
- WSL2 installed with
wsl --installfrom an elevated PowerShell session. - Virtualization enabled in BIOS or UEFI.
Setup Wizard
The Setup Wizard runs automatically on first launch when Docker Desktop is not detected.
Choose WSL2 Docker Engine
Pick the built-in WSL2 Docker Engine path when the welcome dialog appears.
Import Alpine
Dockerman imports a minimal Alpine WSL distro for the Docker Engine.
Install Docker inside Alpine
Dockerman installs Docker and configures the daemon to start on login.
Verify the connection
Dockerman runs a health check and connects to the new daemon.
Do not close Dockerman while the wizard is running. The first setup takes a few minutes and needs to finish before the app is usable.
What the wizard does
The wizard creates the Alpine distro files Dockerman uses to run Docker.
Edit daemon.json
Use Settings → Daemon config panel to edit /etc/docker/daemon.json in either a form view for common fields or a raw JSON view for everything else. Saving restarts Docker inside the Alpine distro.
Recovery from daemon crash
If the Docker daemon crashes, Dockerman shows a banner with a Restart button and streams the crash logs.
Reinstall the WSL2 distro
Added in v5.3.0. If the Alpine distro gets into a bad state, open the WSL setup wizard from the WSL page and click Reinstall to unregister the existing dockerman-backend distribution and import a fresh Alpine image.
Reinstall deletes the entire WSL distribution, including Docker images, containers, volumes, and any other data stored inside it. Export or back up anything you need before continuing. Dockerman does not preserve volumes across this operation.
Switch the engine source
Added in v5.3.0. The WSL page on Windows shows an Engine source selector with two cards: the OS-native Docker socket (Docker Desktop or any system-installed Docker) and the bundled Dockerman WSL2 Docker Engine. Pick a card and Dockerman reconnects the local host to the new source without a toast or a manual save. The previous Docker connection type (socket, tcp, npipe) is remembered, so toggling back to OS-native Docker restores your last setup.
You can also change the connection type from Settings → Docker settings and reconnect manually.
Resource monitoring for WSL2
Use Stats to monitor the WSL2 Engine like any other Docker daemon. If Windows memory use looks high, check WSL2 VM ballooning in Task Manager.