Here’s how to verify Docker in your terminal and pick the right shell on Windows for an Ubuntu-style workflow:

Open whichever terminal you’re using (PowerShell, Command Prompt, Git Bash, or WSL’s Ubuntu shell) and run:

bash

CopyEdit

# 1. Check that the Docker client is installed
docker --version
# Example output: Docker version 24.0.5, build abc1234
# 2. (Optional) Check that the daemon is running and see details
docker info
# 3. Run the “Hello World” container to confirm the engine can pull images and start containers
docker run hello-world

• docker --version
  If Docker’s on your PATH, this prints the client version.

• docker info
  Shows whether the daemon (server) is running, plus system info (cgroup driver, storage driver, etc.).

• docker run hello-world
  Pulls a tiny test image and runs it; if you see the “Hello from Docker!” message, your install is good.

If any of those commands error out, you either need to install Docker (on Windows that’s Docker Desktop with the WSL2 backend) or start the Docker service.

Since you “plan on building everything in Ubuntu,” the smoothest path on Windows 10/11 Pro is to use WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux):

1. Enable WSL 2
   In PowerShell (as Administrator):

   
   powershell
   
   CopyEdit
   
   wsl --install
   
   

   This will install the default distro (Ubuntu) and set WSL 2 as the backend.

2. Install Ubuntu
   If you already have WSL 2 enabled but need Ubuntu:

   • Open the Microsoft Store, search for “Ubuntu,” and install the latest LTS.

3. Use Windows Terminal

   • Install Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store.

   • It natively supports multiple profiles (PowerShell, Command Prompt, Ubuntu WSL, even Azure Cloud Shell).

   • You’ll get a tabs-and-panes interface, full Unicode support, copy/paste, theming, and GPU-accelerated text rendering.

4. Launch your Ubuntu shell inside Windows Terminal (or via wsl from any other terminal). There you can install and run Docker Engine directly in Linux:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   # Inside Ubuntu/WSL
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install docker.io
   sudo usermod -aG docker $USER   # so you can run `docker` without sudo
   newgrp docker                   # reload your group
   docker version
   
   

• Git Bash: Good for basic Unix commands, but it’s still a Windows emulation layer—not a full Linux.

• Cmder / ConEmu: Fancy wrappers around PowerShell/CMD/Git Bash, but they don’t give you the real Ubuntu experience.

• Hyper-V VM: If you need a full Ubuntu VM, you can spin one up in Hyper-V and use its built-in GNOME Terminal.

Bottom line:

For true Ubuntu tools and package management on a Windows host → enable WSL 2 + Ubuntu and use Windows Terminal as your go-to shell. You’ll get the best of both worlds: native Linux plus Windows integration.

Great—that version string means the Docker client is installed. Let’s verify the engine (daemon) is running and that you can actually pull and run containers:

1. Check the daemon & system info

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   docker info
   
   

   If the daemon is up, you’ll see details about your storage driver, cgroup driver, number of containers/images, etc. If it errors with “Cannot connect to the Docker daemon,” you’ll need to start Docker Desktop or, in WSL, start the docker service.

2. Run the “Hello World” test

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   docker run hello-world
   
   

   This pulls a tiny test image and runs it. A successful install prints “Hello from Docker!” along with some further instructions.

3. (WSL-specific) Ensure your Linux user can talk to Docker

   • If you’re using Docker Desktop’s WSL2 backend, open Docker Desktop → Settings → Resources → WSL Integration and make sure your Ubuntu distro is toggled ON.

   • If instead you installed docker.io directly inside Ubuntu/WSL:

     
     bash
     
     CopyEdit
     
     sudo service docker start
     sudo usermod -aG docker $USER    # add yourself to the docker group
     exec su -l $USER                  # or log out/in to apply the new group
     docker version                    # now should work without sudo
     
     

4. Pick your terminal

   • Windows Terminal with the Ubuntu profile (via WSL2) is ideal—tabs, panes, copy/paste, theming.

   • From any other shell (PowerShell, CMD, Git Bash), as long as Docker Desktop is running, docker commands will work—but you won’t get a true Linux environment.

Once docker info shows the daemon is reachable and docker run hello-world succeeds, you’re all set to start building containers in your Ubuntu shell. Let me know if you hit any errors!

You’re seeing that “permission denied” because, by default, the Docker daemon socket (/var/run/docker.sock) is owned by root and only members of the docker group (or root) can talk to it. You have two quick fixes:

bash

CopyEdit

sudo docker info
sudo docker run hello-world

That will always work, but it’s cumbersome having to prefix every command.

1. Create the docker group (if it doesn’t already exist):

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   sudo groupadd docker
   
   

2. Add your user ($USER resolves to “workbench”) to that group:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
   
   

3. Reload your group membership (so you don’t have to log out/in):

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   newgrp docker
   
   

4. Verify

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   docker info       # should now work without sudo
   docker run hello-world
   
   

If you ever find Docker isn’t running, you can start (and enable) it like this:

bash

CopyEdit

sudo systemctl enable --now docker

Once you’ve done #2 (and confirmed docker info runs without sudo), you’re all set to pull, build, and run containers normally.

Since you’re on Windows Pro and want a true Ubuntu environment, I still recommend:

1. WSL 2 + Ubuntu

   
   powershell
   
   CopyEdit
   
   wsl --install
   
   

   (or enable WSL 2 and then install Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store)

2. Windows Terminal as your daily shell

   • Open the Ubuntu profile tab for all your Linux commands

   • You can still open PowerShell or CMD tabs side-by-side if you need them

That setup gives you native Linux tooling (apt, systemctl, bash/zsh) plus Docker in Ubuntu, all inside one elegant terminal.

When you see:

bash

CopyEdit

[sudo] password for workbench:

it’s simply asking for your Linux user password. By design the terminal won’t show any characters as you type—just enter the password you chose when you first set up your Ubuntu/WSL user and hit Enter.

1. At the prompt, type your user password.

2. Press Enter.

3. If it was correct, the command will proceed; if not, you’ll get “sorry, try again.”

In PowerShell or Windows Terminal, run:

powershell

CopyEdit

wsl -d Ubuntu -u root

(Replace “Ubuntu” with your distro name from wsl -l if it’s different.)

Once you’re in as root:

bash

CopyEdit

passwd workbench

You’ll be prompted to enter a new UNIX password and confirm it.

bash

CopyEdit

exit

Back in your normal “workbench@…” shell, you can now:

bash

CopyEdit

# (Re-)create the docker group only if needed
sudo groupadd docker  
# Add yourself to it
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Reload your groups so you don’t have to log out
newgrp docker
# Verify you can now run Docker without sudo
docker info
docker run hello-world

After that, you should see docker info output and “Hello from Docker!” from the test container—no more permission errors.

It sounds like you’re inside an NVIDIA-managed “Workbench” image that likely doesn’t give you full root/sudo rights—hence you can’t create groups or start the Docker daemon. You’ve got a few paths forward:

1. Move to your own Ubuntu (WSL 2 or VM)

   • On Windows Pro, run wsl --install (or manually enable WSL 2), install Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store, then install Docker (either Docker Desktop with WSL integration, or sudo apt install docker.io). You’ll have full sudo access to add yourself to the docker group and run containers without permission errors.

2. Ask your admin for sudo/root privileges on Workbench

   • If you must stay in the NVIDIA environment, you’ll need permission to run groupadd, usermod, and systemctl enable --now docker. Try sudo -l to see what commands you’re allowed, then request whatever’s missing.

3. Explore rootless Docker

   • Some locked-down systems let you run Docker in “rootless” mode. You’d still need enough privileges to launch the rootless daemon (dockerd-rootless.sh) and configure your environment. It’s a more advanced setup and may not be supported on your Workbench image.

My recommendation: spin up a local Ubuntu under WSL 2 (or a lightweight VM). You’ll get a true Linux shell with admin rights, and you can install/configure Docker however you like—no more permission headaches. Let me know if you’d like step-by-step for setting up WSL 2 + Ubuntu.

Running inside NVIDIA’s Workbench can offer some real advantages—especially if your focus is on GPU-accelerated workloads—but it also comes with trade-offs. Here’s a quick rundown:

1. Pre-installed CUDA/CUDNN and ML Frameworks

   • You get NVIDIA’s drivers, CUDA toolkit, cuDNN libraries, plus common ML stacks (TensorFlow, PyTorch) all configured and tested together.

   • Saves you the headache of version-matching.

2. GPU Passthrough & Profiling Tools

   • Direct access to the host GPUs, with NVIDIA’s performance tools (Nsight, Visual Profiler) built in.

   • Easy to collect metrics, debug kernels, and optimize your models.

3. Curated Docker Images

   • Out-of-the-box nvcr.io containers tuned for AI workloads (e.g. TensorRT, DeepStream), already set up for GPU support via the NVIDIA Container Toolkit.

   • Means you don’t have to build or maintain your own GPU-enabled images.

4. Security & Stability

   • NVIDIA vets the environment, so you know the drivers, libraries, and toolkits are all compatible.

   • Updates and patches come through a single channel.

1. Limited Admin/Sudo Access

   • As you’ve seen, you may not be able to add groups, manage services, or customize low-level settings (like the Docker socket permissions).

   • If you need full control (installing other services, tweaking systemd, etc.), you’ll hit walls.

2. Less Flexibility for General Dev

   • You’re tied to the versions NVIDIA ships. If you need a newer kernel, custom networking, or non-GPU tools, you may be blocked.

   • Not ideal for workflows that span beyond AI/ML (e.g., web development, database services).

3. Dependency on the Host Setup

   • If your org’s admin updates or locks down the image, your whole environment could change without warning.

• Use Workbench for GPU-Heavy Tasks
  Keep it for training, profiling, and inference runs where you want peak performance and NVIDIA’s tooling.

• Do Daily Dev in WSL2/VM
  Spin up your own Ubuntu (via WSL2 or a lightweight VM) for building Docker images, writing code, and running services you control. Then push your container to the Workbench for final GPU-enabled testing.

• Rootless Docker (Advanced)
  If you must run Docker within Workbench but lack sudo, investigate NVIDIA’s rootless container support—though setup can be tricky and still may require some privileges.

Bottom line:
If your primary goal is seamless GPU acceleration with zero driver-hell, NVIDIA Workbench is great. But for general Linux administration and full Docker control, you’ll still want your own Ubuntu environment alongside it.

Because you’re the sole operator, you can in fact elevate yourself to root or the sudoers group—but exactly how depends on whether that “Workbench” is:

1. A WSL 2 distro (Ubuntu under Windows)

2. A Docker container or remote Linux VM provisioned by NVIDIA

You can start WSL as root, add yourself to sudoers, then switch back:

1. Launch WSL as root
   In PowerShell or Windows Terminal:

   
   powershell
   
   CopyEdit
   
   wsl -d Ubuntu -u root
   
   

   (If your distro’s named differently, list with wsl -l and substitute that name.)

2. Give your user sudo rights

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   # create the sudo group if needed
   groupadd sudo     # (on Ubuntu it exists by default)
   # add “workbench” to sudo
   usermod -aG sudo workbench
   
   

3. Optionally set your user’s password

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   passwd workbench
   
   

4. Exit and relaunch

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   exit
   wsl -d Ubuntu        # back in as “workbench”
   sudo docker info     # now works without extra setup
   
   

5. (Optional) Make root your default
   If you ever want your WSL prompt to start you in as root, run:

   
   powershell
   
   CopyEdit
   
   ubuntu config --default-user root
   
   

   or via the Distribution’s <DistroName>.exe config --default-user root.

If “Workbench” is actually an NVIDIA‐supplied container or VM image, you’ll need to redeploy it with root privileges:

1. On the host, stop the existing container

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   docker ps           # find the NVIDIA workbench container ID
   docker stop <ID>
   
   

2. Relaunch it as root/privileged

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   docker run --gpus all --privileged -it \
     --user root \
     nvcr.io/nvidia/workbench:latest \
     bash
   
   

   Now inside, you are root and can groupadd docker && usermod -aG docker workbench.

3. If it’s a VM you control, reboot into single‐user or recovery mode, mount /etc, and edit /etc/sudoers to add:

   
   sql
   
   CopyEdit
   
   workbench ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
   
   

   Then reboot normally.

Even if you fix admin rights in the NVIDIA image, it’s often cleaner to do day-to-day Docker builds, installs, and system tweaks inside your own WSL 2 Ubuntu—full control, easy snapshots, no risk of breaking the GPU environment. Then shift back to the NVIDIA Workbench purely for GPU-tuned runs.

Let me know which setup you’re on, and I can tailor the exact commands.

Here are two easy ways to see exactly what your WSL distro is called:

1. Open PowerShell or a cmd tab in Windows Terminal.

2. Run:

   
   powershell
   
   CopyEdit
   
   wsl -l -v
   
   

3. You’ll get output like this:

   
   pgsql
   
   CopyEdit
   
     NAME            STATE           VERSION
   * Ubuntu-22.04    Running         2
     docker-desktop  Stopped         2
     docker-desktop-data Stopped     2
   
   

   • The NAME column shows each installed distro.

   • The one with the asterisk (*) is your default.

   • In this example, the distro name is Ubuntu-22.04.

1. Open your WSL prompt (whatever you’re already in).

2. Run:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   cat /etc/os-release
   
   

3. Look for the lines that say NAME= and VERSION=. For example:

   
   ini
   
   CopyEdit
   
   NAME="Ubuntu"
   VERSION="22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)"
   
   

   • Here, your distro is simply called Ubuntu.

   Or you can use:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   lsb_release -a
   
   

   which will print something like:

   
   yaml
   
   CopyEdit
   
   Distributor ID: Ubuntu
   Description:    Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
   Release:        22.04
   Codename:       jammy
   
   

Once you see the exact name (e.g. Ubuntu-22.04 or Ubuntu), you can use it in commands like:

powershell

CopyEdit

# Launch WSL as root for that distro
wsl -d Ubuntu-22.04 -u root

Let me know if you need any more help!

Your WSL distro is named NVIDIA-Workbench, so you’ll use that in the wsl commands. Here’s how to drop into a root shell, give your user both sudo and docker rights, and then get back to your normal prompt:

In PowerShell (or a Windows Terminal tab), run:

powershell

CopyEdit

wsl -d NVIDIA-Workbench -u root

That will drop you into a root shell inside your WSL distro.

Assuming your Linux username is workbench (as shown by your prompt), run:

bash

CopyEdit

# Create the docker group if it doesn’t exist
groupadd docker
# Add ‘workbench’ to the sudo group (so you can use sudo)
usermod -aG sudo workbench
# Add ‘workbench’ to the docker group (so you can run Docker without sudo)
usermod -aG docker workbench

If you ever need to set or reset your user’s password while you’re root, run:

bash

CopyEdit

passwd workbench

Back at your root prompt, type:

bash

CopyEdit

exit

Now you’re back in

You’re almost there—seeing “group ‘docker’ already exists” just means that step is done. Now let’s finish up:

1. (Optional) Set your user’s password
   If you haven’t already set one (so you can use sudo later), still as root run:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   passwd workbench
   
   

   and follow the prompts.

2. Exit the root shell

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   exit
   
   

   You should drop back to the workbench@… prompt.

3. Reload your group membership
   So your new docker (and sudo) groups take effect without logging out/in:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   newgrp docker
   
   

4. Verify your groups
   Just to be sure you’re in both docker and sudo:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   groups
   
   

   You should see workbench : workbench sudo docker …

5. Test Docker
   Now run:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   docker info
   docker run hello-world
   
   

   You should see the full docker info output and the “Hello from Docker!” message—no sudo or permission errors.

6. Use sudo for admin tasks
   From here on, you can also run things like:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   sudo systemctl enable --now docker
   
   

   or install new packages with sudo apt install…

• You can fully restart WSL to pick up changes:

  
  powershell
  
  CopyEdit
  
  wsl --shutdown
  # then reopen your Ubuntu shell
  
  

• Then repeat the groups, docker info, hello-world steps.

Once that’s clean, you’ll be able to run Docker and any other admin commands in your NVIDIA-Workbench distro without further permission blocks.

It looks like you actually invoked su (which on Ubuntu will tell you to use sudo) rather than successfully spawning a new group-shell. In WSL the easiest way to pick up your new group membership is to fully restart the distro:

1. Exit back to PowerShell (if you’re still inside WSL):

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   exit
   
   

2. Shut down all WSL instances:

   
   powershell
   
   CopyEdit
   
   wsl --shutdown
   
   

3. Relaunch your NVIDIA-Workbench distro (e.g. via Windows Terminal):

   
   powershell
   
   CopyEdit
   
   wsl -d NVIDIA-Workbench
   
   

4. Verify your groups:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   groups
   # you should see “workbench sudo docker” in the list
   
   

5. Test Docker:

   
   bash
   
   CopyEdit
   
   docker info
   docker run hello-world
   
   

If you see full docker info output and the “Hello from Docker!” message without any errors, you’re all set.

• WSL caches your user’s group list at login.

• newgrp can work, but it’s often simpler in WSL just to restart the session so it re-reads /etc/group.

• After the restart, your user (workbench) will be in both the docker and sudo groups, so you can run Docker commands and sudo-prefixed installs without further hiccups.

Great—your docker info output shows both the client and server are up and communicating properly. You’re all set on the Docker side. Here are the next steps and recommendations:

Run:

bash

CopyEdit

docker run hello-world

You should see a “Hello from Docker!” message confirming you can pull images and start containers without issues.

Since you’re in Ubuntu 22.04 on WSL 2, you can use apt to install most Linux tools. For example, to install Git and curl:

bash

CopyEdit

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git curl

Any time you need a new package, just:

1. sudo apt update

2. sudo apt install <package-name>

For a seamless Ubuntu experience alongside Windows:

1. Windows Terminal (from the Microsoft Store)

   • Native tabs/panes, theming, copy-paste, Unicode, GPU-accelerated rendering.

   • Create an “Ubuntu” profile that launches wsl -d NVIDIA-Workbench.

2. WSL 2 + Ubuntu

   
   powershell
   
   CopyEdit
   
   wsl --install
   
   

   (You’ve already got WSL2 running as NVIDIA-Workbench.)

3. Use the Ubuntu tab for all Linux development—installing packages, running Docker, building code—while keeping PowerShell or CMD tabs handy for Windows-only tasks.

1. Open Windows Terminal → select your Ubuntu (WSL) profile.

2. Install any Linux tools you need via sudo apt install.

3. Build and run containers with Docker (no sudo needed).

4. Edit code with VS Code’s “Remote - WSL” extension or any editor inside WSL for native performance.

5. Switch to a PowerShell or CMD tab if you need to run Windows-only commands.

With Docker verified and your user in the right groups, plus Windows Terminal/WSL as your shell, you’ve got a rock-solid, full-Ubuntu dev environment on Windows Pro. Let me know what programs or frameworks you want to set up next!

Awesome–that “Hello from Docker!” means you’re fully set. 🎉

You can grab almost anything with apt. For example, to get Git, curl, build tools and Python:

bash

CopyEdit

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y \
  git \
  curl \
  build-essential \
  python3 python3-pip \
  nodejs npm

• git: version control

• curl: HTTP client

• build-essential: gcc, make, etc.

• python3 & pip: Python scripting

• nodejs & npm: JavaScript tooling

Feel free to swap in whatever packages you need (e.g. docker-compose, vim, htop, openssh-client, etc.).

You can spin up a throwaway Ubuntu container to experiment:

bash

CopyEdit

docker run -it ubuntu:22.04 bash

Inside that shell you’ll have a fresh Ubuntu install—great for testing installs or isolating environments.

For the smoothest workflow, install Visual Studio Code on Windows and add the Remote – WSL extension. Then open your WSL filesystem directly in VS Code:

bash

CopyEdit

code .

VS Code will launch and seamlessly edit files in your Linux environment.

• Open the Ubuntu (NVIDIA-Workbench) profile tab for all Linux work.

• Add additional profiles (PowerShell, CMD) for Windows tasks.

• Split panes (Alt+Shift+- or Alt+Shift+=) to run Windows and Ubuntu side by side.

What would you like to set up next? For example:

• A specific language environment (Go, Rust, Ruby)?

• Docker Compose stacks?

• Databases like PostgreSQL/MySQL?

• Or perhaps configuring your shell (.bashrc/zsh)?

Let me know and I’ll guide you through the exact commands!

That screen you’re seeing is the Welcome page for your WSL distro (NVIDIA-Workbench), not the Windows Terminal app itself. It’s a friendly HTML/CSS “help” UI that runs inside the WSL distro when you launch it directly from the Start menu or via its icon.

Happy building—you’re leveling up FAST!