podman-desktop/website/docs/migrating-from-docker/using-the-docker_host-environment-variable.md

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2	Using the `DOCKER_HOST` environment variable	Using the `DOCKER_HOST` environment variable can make it easier to migrate from Docker to Podman Desktop, as it allows you to continue using familiar Docker commands while taking advantage of the benefits of Podman.	podman desktop podman containers docker_host environment variable	migrating-from-docker

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Using the DOCKER_HOST environment variable

Consider using the DOCKER_HOST environment variable to migrate transparently from Docker to Podman Desktop on all platforms.

• Continue using familiar Docker commands.
• Take advantage of the benefits of Podman.
• Your tools, such as Gradle or Testcontainers, communicate with Podman without reconfiguration.

Using the DOCKER_HOST environment variable, you can connect your Docker CLI to the Podman socket.

:::note

Alternatively, you can add a podman context by using the docker context create command.

• For example, set the value of the context in this pattern on a macOS machine:

  docker context create podman --docker "host=unix://$HOME.local/share/containers/podman/machine/podman.sock"

  Where, the path specified after the unix:// scheme denotes the DOCKER_HOST value.

Then, you can run the docker context use podman command to switch to that context. This way you can use your Docker CLI to run your tasks on a remote Podman engine. When you run the docker ps command, it queries the Podman socket specified in the current context.

:::

Prerequisites

• Podman

Procedure

1. Identify the location of your Podman pipe

$ podman machine inspect --format '{{.ConnectionInfo.PodmanPipe.Path}}'

2. Set the DOCKER_HOST environment variable to your Podman pipe location. You'll need to replace back slashes with forward slashes and add the npipe:// scheme to the path retrieved previously:

   Example:

   prefixpodman-pipe

   npipe:////./pipe/podman-machine-default

   Depending on your terminal emulator of preference, there is a little variation between the commands to set a session level environment variable:

   cmd - Command Prompt

   set DOCKER_HOST=npipe://<inspect_command_output>
   

   Git Bash

   export DOCKER_HOST=npipe://<inspect_command_output>
   

   Powershell

   Don't miss the quotes used with the value. Otherwise, powershell will interpret it as a separate command instead of a value.

   $env:DOCKER_HOST="npipe://<inspect_command_output>"
   

   Ideally, you should set DOCKER_HOST at the system or user level environment variables (or even load it in your CL emulator init script of choice).

:::note

Setting the DOCKER_HOST environment variable isn't necessary on Windows because Podman also listens to the default docker_engine pipe. But, it might be necessary if you get the following error: Error: socket of machine is not set, while trying to use the podman compose command.

:::

1. Identify the location of your Podman socket

$ podman machine inspect --format '{{.ConnectionInfo.PodmanSocket.Path}}'

2. Set the DOCKER_HOST environment variable to your Podman socket location. Be sure to add the unix:// scheme to the path retrieved previously:

$ export DOCKER_HOST=unix://<your_podman_socket_location>

1. Identify the location of your Podman socket

$ podman info --format '{{.Host.RemoteSocket.Path}}'

2. Set the DOCKER_HOST environment variable to your Podman socket location. Be sure to add the unix:// scheme to the path retrieved previously:

$ export DOCKER_HOST=unix://<your_podman_socket_location>

Verification

• Your tools using the DOCKER_HOST environment variable, such as Gradle or Testcontainers, communicate with Podman without reconfiguration.