Docker is a containerization platform that is useful for deploying and running applications in isolated environments. It is a demanding choice for system administrators and developers; however it can sometimes be necessary to uninstall Docker. The reason could be that people no longer want to use it and free up the space on their Mac system. There could be some problems running the Docker and they want to start fresh; another reason could be that they are switching to a different containerization platform.
No matter because you are uninstalling Docker, it is important to do it properly. If you simply delete the Docker app from your Mac, you may leave behind residual files and folders that can cause problems. The best way to do this is to delete Docker on Mac using the command line and this guide will help you in this process.
How to Uninstall Docker on Mac Using Command Line?
There are two versions of Docker available for Mac system users; one is the Docker Desktop App that uses both GUI and command line interface to work with Docker containers. The other one is the command-line tool that only allows you to perform Docker related tasks from the terminal. It can be installed directly from the Homebrew package manager. Thus, the methods to uninstall these tools will be different on Mac.
Let’s find out how you can uninstall Docker Desktop App and Docker Command Line tool on Mac directly using the command line Zsh or Bash.
1: Uninstall Docker Desktop App on Mac Using Command Line
If you have installed Docker Desktop App on your Mac system, you can uninstall it completely from your Mac system by running the below-given command:
The above command will help you quickly uninstall the Docker Desktop App from Mac without asking for any approval.
2: Uninstall Docker Command Line Tool on Mac Using Command Line
If you have installed Docker Command Line Tool on Mac from Homebrew Package Manager, you can quickly uninstall it from the system through the following command:
The above command will remove the Docker related files and folders from your Mac system.
The method selection should be according to the Docker application you are using on Mac since both methods are different.
Conclusion
Docker is a powerful tool for creating and running applications in isolated environments, however, there may be times when you need to uninstall Docker from your Mac. This can be done easily using the command line through the “/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/Docker –uninstall” command if you have installed Docker Desktop App, or “brew uninstall docker” if you have installed Docker from Homebrew.
