Docker Toolbox

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Deprecated

Docker Toolbox has been deprecated and is no longer in active development. Please use Docker Desktop instead. See Docker Desktop for Mac and Docker Desktop for Windows.

This page explains how to migrate your Docker Toolbox installation to Docker Desktop. It also contains instructions on how to uninstall Docker Toolbox from Mac and Windows machines.

Migrate from Docker Toolbox to Docker Desktop🔗

Uninstalling Docker Toolbox will remove your local image cache, volumes, containers, and other data stored in Docker. Refer to the back up and restore data documentation before uninstalling Docker Toolbox, to learn how to back up your data.

Uninstall Docker Toolbox🔗

Removing Toolbox involves removing all the Docker components it includes.

A full uninstall also includes removing the local and remote machines you created with Docker Machine. In some cases, you might want to keep machines created with Docker Machine. For example, if you plan to re-install Docker Machine as a part of Docker Desktop, you can continue to manage those machines through Docker. Or, if you have remote machines on a cloud provider and you plan to manage them using the provider, you wouldn’t want to remove them. So, the step to remove machines is described here as optional.

Uninstall Docker Toolbox on Mac🔗

To uninstall Docker Toolbox on Mac:

1. List your machines.

   $ docker-machine ls
   NAME                ACTIVE   DRIVER       STATE     URL                        SWARM
   dev                 *        virtualbox   Running   tcp://192.168.99.100:2376
   my-docker-machine            virtualbox   Stopped
   default                      virtualbox   Stopped
   

2. Optionally, remove each machine. For example:

   $ docker-machine rm my-docker-machine
   Successfully removed my-docker-machine
   

   This step is optional because if you plan to re-install Docker Machine as a part of Docker Desktop for Mac, you can import and continue to manage those machines through Docker.

3. In your “Applications” folder, remove the “Docker” directory, which contains “Docker Quickstart Terminal” and “Kitematic”.

4. Run the following in a command shell to fully remove Kitematic:

   $ rm -fr ~/Library/Application\ Support/Kitematic
   

5. Remove the docker, docker-compose, and docker-machine commands from the /usr/local/bin folder. Docker Desktop for Mac and Brew may also have installed them; in case of doubt leave them, or reinstall them via Brew, or rerun Docker Desktop for Mac (no need to reinstall it).

   $ rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker
   $ rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
   $ rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-machine
   

6. Optionally, remove the ~/.docker/machine directory.

   This directory stores some configuration and/or state, such as information about created machines and certificates.

7. Uninstall Oracle VirtualBox, which is installed as a part of the Toolbox install.

Uninstall Docker Toolbox on Windows🔗

To uninstall Toolbox on Windows:

1. List your machines.

   $ docker-machine ls
   NAME                ACTIVE   DRIVER       STATE     URL                        SWARM
   dev                 *        virtualbox   Running   tcp://192.168.99.100:2376
   my-docker-machine            virtualbox   Stopped
   default                      virtualbox   Stopped
   

2. Optionally, remove each machine. For example:

   $ docker-machine rm my-docker-machine
   Successfully removed my-docker-machine
   

   This step is optional because if you plan to re-install Docker Machine as a part of Docker Desktop for Windows, you can import and continue to manage those machines through Docker.

3. Uninstall Docker Toolbox using Window’s standard process for uninstalling programs through the control panel (programs and features).

   Note: This process does not remove the docker-install.exe file. You must delete that file yourself.

4. Optionally, remove the C:\Users\<your-user>\.docker directory.

   If you want to remove Docker entirely, you can verify that the uninstall removed the .docker directory under your user path. If it is still there, remove it manually. This directory stores some Docker program configuration and state, such as information about created machines and certificates. You usually don’t need to remove this directory.

5. Uninstall Oracle VirtualBox, which is installed as a part of the Toolbox install.