diff --git a/content/manuals/desktop/features/containerd.md b/content/manuals/desktop/features/containerd.md index 5fc0f6107c02..8b47f607f4c0 100644 --- a/content/manuals/desktop/features/containerd.md +++ b/content/manuals/desktop/features/containerd.md @@ -1,37 +1,29 @@ --- title: containerd image store weight: 80 -description: How to activate the containerd integration feature in Docker Desktop +description: Learn about the containerd image store in Docker Desktop and how it extends image management capabilities. keywords: Docker, containerd, engine, image store, lazy-pull toc_max: 3 aliases: -- /desktop/containerd/ + - /desktop/containerd/ --- -Docker Desktop is transitioning to use containerd for image and filesystem management. This page outlines the benefits, setup process, and new capabilities enabled by the containerd image store. - -> [!NOTE] -> -> Docker Desktop maintains separate image stores for the classic and containerd image stores. -> When switching between them, images and containers from the inactive store remain on disk but are hidden until you switch back. +Docker Desktop uses containerd as its image store by default. The image store +is the component responsible for pushing, pulling, and storing images on your +filesystem. The containerd image store supports features like multi-platform +images, image attestations, and alternative snapshotters. ## What is `containerd`? -`containerd` is a container runtime that provides a lightweight, consistent interface for container lifecycle management. It is already used under the hood by Docker Engine for creating, starting, and stopping containers. - -Docker Desktop’s ongoing integration of containerd now extends to the image store, offering more flexibility and modern image support. +`containerd` is a container runtime that provides a lightweight, consistent +interface for container lifecycle and image management. It is used under the +hood by Docker Engine for creating, starting, and stopping containers. ## What is the `containerd` image store? The image store is the component responsible for pushing, pulling, and storing images on the filesystem. -The classic Docker image store is limited in the types of images that it supports. -For example, it doesn't support image indices, containing manifest lists. -When you create multi-platform images, for example, -the image index resolves all the platform-specific variants of the image. -An image index is also required when building images with attestations. - The containerd image store extends the range of image types that the Docker Engine can natively interact with. While this is a low-level architectural change, @@ -47,20 +39,33 @@ it's a prerequisite for unlocking a range of new use cases, including: [2]: https://github.com/containerd/nydus-snapshotter [3]: https://github.com/dragonflyoss/image-service -## Enable the containerd image store +## Classic image store -The containerd image store is enabled by default in Docker Desktop version 4.52 -and later. +The classic image store is Docker's legacy storage backend, replaced by the +containerd image store. It doesn't support image indices or manifest lists, so +you can't load multi-platform images locally or build images with attestations. -To manually select which image store Docker Desktop uses: +Most users have no reason to use the classic image store. It's available for +cases where you need to match older behavior or have compatibility +requirements. + +## Switch image stores + +The containerd image store is enabled by default in Docker Desktop version 4.34 +and later. To switch between image stores: 1. Navigate to **Settings** in Docker Desktop. 2. In the **General** tab, check or clear the **Use containerd for pulling and storing images** option. 3. Select **Apply**. +> [!NOTE] +> +> Docker Desktop maintains separate image stores for the classic and containerd image stores. +> When switching between them, images and containers from the inactive store remain on disk but are hidden until you switch back. + ## Build multi-platform images -Enabling the containerd image store lets you build multi-platform images +The containerd image store lets you build multi-platform images and load them to your local image store: