Running Docker 17.10 on Windows Server 1709 without nested virtualization

Containers
Containers, Servers

Although some people have overheard me saying that Containers are Dead, there is actually some use for it when dealing with legacy software and/or on-premise/cloud hybrid applications.
Recently, during a hackathon, I tried to use Docker Swarm’s awesome Routing Mesh but couldn’t get it to work on Windows Server 2016. It turns out that it will only work on Windows Server 1709.

Installing Docker EE Preview

Since it was a hackathon anyway, I figured I might as well try to roll Windows Server 1709 (this is the new semi-annual release channel by the way) on a VM and I followed the instructions to install Docker on it. But… it still didn’t work. Turns out, I needed different instructions and the preview. But for some reason it wouldn’t install! It told me I needed to install the Hyper-V feature:

Forcing it to run anyway

Using the following piece of Powershell, it’s quite easy to get it to work anyway. This does assume you followed the ‘normal’ installation instructions first though.

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# Stop Docker
Stop-Service Docker

# Get Docker
Save-package -providername DockerProvider -Name Docker -RequiredVersion Preview -Path $Env:TEMP

$dockerZipPath = (Resolve-Path $Env:TEMP\Docker*.zip)
Expand-archive $dockerZipPath $Env:TEMP\Docker

# Move to correct location
Move-Item $Env:TEMP\Docker\docker\dockerd.exe "$Env:ProgramFiles\Docker" -force
Move-Item $Env:TEMP\Docker\docker\docker.exe "$Env:ProgramFiles\Docker" -force

# Disable Linux containers
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("LCOW_SUPPORTED", $null, "Machine")
Start-Service Docker

# Cleanup
Remove-Item $dockerZipPath -Force
Remove-Item $Env:TEMP\Docker -Recurse -Force

The LCOW_SUPPORTED environment variable makes sure you won’t accidently try to run a Linux container anyway :-) O, did I forget to mention that? Docker 17.10 adds support for Linux containers on Windows Server through LinuxKit.

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