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1st chunk of `content/manuals/engine/daemon/_index.md`
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---
description: Configuring the Docker daemon
keywords: docker, daemon, configuration
title: Docker daemon configuration overview
linkTitle: Daemon
weight: 60
aliases:
  - /articles/chef/
  - /articles/configuring/
  - /articles/dsc/
  - /articles/puppet/
  - /config/thirdparty/
  - /config/thirdparty/ansible/
  - /config/thirdparty/chef/
  - /config/thirdparty/dsc/
  - /config/thirdparty/puppet/
  - /engine/admin/
  - /engine/admin/ansible/
  - /engine/admin/chef/
  - /engine/admin/configuring/
  - /engine/admin/dsc/
  - /engine/admin/puppet/
  - /engine/articles/chef/
  - /engine/articles/configuring/
  - /engine/articles/dsc/
  - /engine/articles/puppet/
  - /engine/userguide/
  - /config/daemon/
---

This page shows you how to customize the Docker daemon, `dockerd`.

> [!NOTE]
>
> This page is for users who've installed Docker Engine manually. If you're
> using Docker Desktop, refer to the [settings page](/manuals/desktop/settings-and-maintenance/settings.md#docker-engine).

## Configure the Docker daemon

There are two ways to configure the Docker daemon:

- Use a JSON configuration file. This is the preferred option, since it keeps
  all configurations in a single place.
- Use flags when starting `dockerd`.

You can use both of these options together as long as you don't specify the same
option both as a flag and in the JSON file. If that happens, the Docker daemon
won't start and prints an error message.

### Configuration file

The following table shows the location where the Docker daemon expects to find
the configuration file by default, depending on your system and how you're
running the daemon.

| OS and configuration | File location                              |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Linux, regular setup | `/etc/docker/daemon.json`                  |
| Linux, rootless mode | `~/.config/docker/daemon.json`             |
| Windows              | `C:\ProgramData\docker\config\daemon.json` |

For rootless mode, the daemon respects the `XDG_CONFIG_HOME` variable. If set,
the expected file location is `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/docker/daemon.json`.
Title: Docker Daemon Configuration Overview
Summary
This document explains how to configure the Docker daemon (`dockerd`). You can configure the daemon using a JSON configuration file (preferred) or by using flags when starting `dockerd`. The document also specifies the location of the JSON configuration file for different operating systems and configurations.