How to install Docker Compose on CentOS 8

Docker Compose lets you define and run multi-container applications from a single YAML file – one command brings up your whole stack (app, database, cache) with the right networks and volumes. Compose is now built into Docker as a plugin (v2), so you install it alongside Docker itself. Here is the current setup for AlmaLinux 9, Rocky Linux 9, and CentOS Stream.

Step 1: Add the Docker Repository

sudo dnf install -y dnf-plugins-core
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo \
  https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo

Step 2: Install Docker and the Compose Plugin

The docker-compose-plugin package provides Compose v2:

sudo dnf install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io \
  docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Step 3: Start Docker and Verify

sudo systemctl enable --now docker
docker --version
docker compose version

Note the command is docker compose (with a space) for v2, not the old docker-compose. To run Docker without sudo, add your user to the docker group: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER, then log out and back in.

Step 4: A Sample docker-compose.yml

Create a file named docker-compose.yml – here’s a simple WordPress + MySQL stack:

services:
  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: change_me
      MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
  wordpress:
    image: wordpress:latest
    depends_on:
      - db
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: wordpress
volumes:
  db_data:

Step 5: Key Compose Commands

docker compose up -d       # start the stack in the background
docker compose ps          # list running services
docker compose logs -f     # follow logs
docker compose down        # stop and remove containers
docker compose pull        # update images

The modern Compose file no longer needs the version: line that older tutorials show – Compose v2 ignores it. Docker Compose runs well on any VPS or dedicated server; for production stacks, NVMe storage and guaranteed RAM make a noticeable difference.