Proper way to install docker compose (v2) ? about photon

[dcasota]

Hi,

The docker-compose package in Ph5 installs /bin/docker-compose, actually with a version output Docker Compose version 2.14.0.

This isn't the same command as docker compose, indeed. Accordingly to https://github.com/docker/compose, For a smooth transition from legacy docker-compose 1.xx, please consider installing compose-switch to translate docker-compose ... commands into Compose V2's docker compose .... . Also check V2's --compatibility flag.

Please consider that there were Photon OS team voices, for example see #647, which weren't enthusiasts about docker compose at that time.

In addition, the docs in mind, an upgrade from Photon OS 3.0 to 5.0 is not officially supported (yet?).

For Photon OS 4.0, the upgrade workflow is described in https://vmware.github.io/photon/docs-v5/installation-guide/upgrading-to-photon-os-4/. Step 2 says, Stop any services (for example, docker) that are currently running in the VM. and After the upgrade, before you deploy into production, test all previous functionality to ensure that everything works as expected..

Hence, with respect to "what's the best way to do this?", I would consider to assess your containers that are affected by the upgrade, customize a solution and verify that the controls function properly.
Beside that, imho it is good to have reached out to the Photon OS team. Usually if there are enough "voices", they do consider enhancements, but it also can take a few weeks before you get a qualified answer.

Hope this helps.
-Daniel

[EricSeastrand]

Thanks Daniel! Very helpful indeed.
Would it be correct to say that there's no "official" way to install docker compose on Photon at this time? I'm fine to install it as a one-off binary, but always try to avoid "veering off the beaten path" when there's a vendor-endorsed option.

Realizing "best" is highly subjective, to me it means: well-supported by the software vendor, such that I can automatically receive upstream updates as they release, and those updates have already been tested by the vendor/community to be compatible. Example: Ubuntu (and other distros) maintain their own repos of common packages, albeit with some lag-behind on releases to ensure compatibility.

If the Photon team is against doing something like that with docker compose, I can't fault them for that. I had assumed that they were [incorrectly, it seems], so I was looking for this "supported" solution.

In light of this, and given that I'm just a homelabber/VMWare enthusiast in a pseudo-production environment, it sounds like my best option is to install docker compose directly from Docker's own repo. Would you agree with that sentiment?