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Dockup

Docker Engine in a dedicated WSL distro, driven from Windows. No Docker Desktop, no services, no autostart unless you ask for it: one static dockup.exe installs Debian into WSL as dockup, runs dockerd there under systemd, and bridges the Windows Docker CLI to it over a named pipe (plus an optional 127.0.0.1 TCP bridge).

Why dockup?

  • One distro, one job. A disposable Debian distro named dockup that exists only to run the Docker daemon. Your other distros are never touched.
  • Native CLI feel. run -it, exec, logs -f, and Compose all behave natively over a raw byte-copy bridge — no -i workarounds, no TCP ports, no firewall rules by default.
  • Nothing runs unless you start it. Foreground (dockup) or background (dockup daemon start) — plus opt-in startup at Windows login.
  • Self-healing. doctor repairs stale state, --fix rebuilds a broken engine, and restore resets tampering while keeping your images.

Quickstart

dockup setup                  # install the dockup distro (asks where + which arch)
dockup daemon start           # run in the background
docker -H npipe:////./pipe/dockup_engine run --rm hello-world
dockup daemon stop            # stop when done

Or run in the foreground with dockup (Ctrl+C stops it).

Commands

Command What it does
dockup Foreground run, logs inline, Ctrl+C stops
dockup setup [--amd\|--arm] [--path=DIR] [--dry-run] Install the distro, Docker, systemd config; verify
dockup uninstall Remove the distro and its state (keeps your default path)
dockup restore [--full] Reset tampering (light) or reinstall from scratch (--full)
dockup ps STATUS (running/starting.../stopped) + AUTOSTART table
dockup daemon start\|stop\|restart\|status\|log Background process management + log follow
dockup daemon autostart [on\|off] Show or set starting at Windows login (default off)
dockup shutdown Stop everything and terminate the distro
dockup doctor [--fix] Health checks; --fix reinstalls/repairs a broken engine
dockup upgrade Update the in-distro engine to the latest versions
dockup version Show the version
dockup help [command] Help (-h/--help work on every command)

Where to go next