docker-machine is a component of docker, used to create docker hosted virtual nodes using different drivers like GCP, AWS, Azure, or Virtualbox. Docker hosted nodes are the machines running docker daemon and used to run the docker containers. The Docker machine tool is useful when you want to create a docker cluster on any of the drivers mentioned above using docker swarm.

Today, we will learn to create a virtual machine using docker-machine

Step 1: Check the latest release version available here.
Step 2: Run below command to install docker-machine (change the latest version you find from step 1)

$base=https://github.com/docker/machine/releases/download/v0.16.2 &&
curl -L $base/docker-machine-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m) >/tmp/docker-machine && 
sudo mv /tmp/docker-machine /usr/local/bin/docker-machine 
&& chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-machine

Click here for installation on Windows or Mac.

Step 3: Check successful installation

$docker-machine ls
NAME   ACTIVE   DRIVER       STATE     URL     SWARM     DOCKER     ERRORS

*Run last command chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-machine if you see any permission issue

Step 4: Install Virtualbox driver for local installation of virtual machines

$sudo apt update && apt upgrade && apt install virtualbox

Step 5: Create virtual machine on Virtualbox with name dev

$docker-machine create --driver virtualbox dev

Step 6: Now, the $docker-machine ls command should return with running machine

$docker-machine ls
NAME   ACTIVE   DRIVER       STATE     URL                       SWARM   DOCKER  ERRORS
dev    -        virtualbox   Running   tcp://192.168.99.100:2376           v19.03.5   

You successfully installed docker hosted virtual machine using Virtualbox driver locally, this node can be used for docker swarm worker nodes.

Happy dockering! Keep Learning!