How to Set Up Docker GUI Tools (DockerUI, Shipyard, Portainer) on a Single Host

Docker provides several lightweight graphical interfaces for managing containers, the most popular being Portainer, followed by DockerUI and Shipyard. These tools query the Docker API to display resources, offering a more user‑friendly alternative to command‑line management.

DockerUI

DockerUI is the predecessor of Portainer. To install it on a single host: # docker search dockerui Pull the image: # docker pull abh1nav/dockerui Run the container with elevated privileges and expose port 9000:

# docker run -d --privileged --name dockerui -p 9000:9000 \
    -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock abh1nav/dockerui

Open the firewall for port 9000:

# firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-port=9000/tcp
# firewall-cmd --reload

Access the UI in a browser at http://<em>HOST_IP</em>:9000 (e.g., http://192.168.2.119:9000).

Shipyard

Shipyard is another lightweight Docker GUI. The article includes an illustration but does not provide explicit installation commands; users can refer to the official Shipyard documentation for deployment steps.

Portainer

Portainer is currently the most widely adopted Docker UI. Installation steps:

# docker search portainer

# docker pull portainer/portainer

Create a persistent volume for Portainer data: # docker volume create portainer_data Run the Portainer container, binding the Docker socket and the data volume, and exposing port 9000:

# docker run -d -p 9000:9000 \
    --name portainer --restart always \
    -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
    -v portainer_data:/data portainer/portainer

Explanation of key parameters: -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock mounts the host Docker daemon socket inside the container, allowing Portainer to control the host Docker engine. -v portainer_data:/data stores Portainer’s configuration and metadata persistently.

After the container starts, open a browser at http://<em>HOST_IP</em>:9000, set an admin username and password, and choose the "Local" endpoint to manage the single‑host Docker environment. For remote Swarm clusters, select "Remote" and provide the Swarm manager’s IP address.

Once logged in, the dashboard provides an overview of containers, images, networks, and volumes, enabling easy monitoring and management without using the CLI.