Run Your First Docker Container (2026 Step-by-Step)

Quick one-liner: Learn how to run your first Docker container — from finding images on Docker Hub to accessing the container shell and cleaning up properly. Why This Matters Now that Docker is installed, it's time to run your first container. If you're like most people starting with Docker, you might be tempted to just copy-paste commands without understanding what they do. I've been there. But here's the thing: knowing what each flag does means you'll understand what's happening when you run a container. This guide walks you through running your first real container, step by step. No copy-paste without explanation. Every command broken down. By the end, you'll know how to: Find and pull images from Docker Hub Run containers with the right flags Access a running container's shell Stop and clean up properly Prerequisites Docker installed (rootless mode recommended — see Ubuntu guide or SLES guide ) 5 minutes to run your first container Terminal access to your Docker host Finding Images