---
title: Installing Calico for Docker
canonical_url: 'https://docs.projectcalico.org/v2.6/getting-started/docker/installation/manual'
---

Calico runs as a Docker container on each host. The `calicoctl` command line tool can be used to launch the `calico/node` container.

## Using calicoctl

1. Download the calicoctl binary:

   ```
   sudo wget -O /usr/local/bin/calicoctl https://github.com/projectcalico/calicoctl/releases/download/v1.0.2/calicoctl
   sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/calicoctl
   ```

2. Configure access to your etcd cluster, [calicoctl - etcd datastore]({{site.baseurl}}/{{page.version}}/reference/calicoctl/setup/etcdv2).
3. Launch `calico/node`:

   ```
   sudo calicoctl node run
   ```

Check that `calico/node` is now running:

```
vagrant@calico-01:~$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                COMMAND             CREATED             STATUS              PORTS               NAMES
408bd2b9ba53        calico/node:v1.0.2   "start_runit"       About an hour ago   Up About an hour                        calico-node
```

Furthermore, check that the `calico/node` container is functioning properly
with the following command:

```
sudo calicoctl node status
```

## Using "docker run"

For more control over the Calico startup process, and to simplify binding
startup to an init system, `calicoctl` can print the command it uses
to launch `calico/node`.

To print the command `calicoctl node run` uses to launch Calico on this host,
run the command with the `--init-system` and `--dry-run` flags:

```
$ calicoctl node run --init-system --dryrun
Use the following command to start the calico/node container:

docker run --net=host --privileged --name=calico-node --rm -e ETCD_AUTHORITY=127.0.0.1:2379 -e ETCD_SCHEME=http -e ETCD_ENDPOINTS= -e NODENAME=calico -e CALICO_NETWORKING_BACKEND=bird -e NO_DEFAULT_POOLS= -e CALICO_LIBNETWORK_ENABLED=true -e CALICO_LIBNETWORK_IFPREFIX=cali -v /var/run/calico:/var/run/calico -v /lib/modules:/lib/modules -v /var/log/calico:/var/log/calico -v /run/docker/plugins:/run/docker/plugins -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock calico/node:v1.0.2

Use the following command to stop the calico/node container:

docker stop calico-node

```

Pair the printed command with your favorite init system to ensure Calico is
always running on each host.

See [additional information on binding to an init system ]({{site.baseurl}}/{{page.version}}/usage/configuration/as-service).

## Next Steps

With `calico/node` running, you are ready to start using Calico by following the
[simple policy walkthrough]({{site.baseurl}}/{{page.version}}/getting-started/docker/tutorials/simple-policy).
