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Settings Management

content/manuals/enterprise/security/hardened-desktop/settings-management/_index.md

18.09-release5.2 KB
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{{< summary-bar feature_name="Hardened Docker Desktop" >}}

Settings Management lets administrators configure and enforce Docker Desktop settings across end-user machines. It helps maintain consistent configurations and enhances security within your organization.

Who should use Settings Management?

Settings Management is designed for organizations that:

  • Need centralized control over Docker Desktop configurations
  • Want to standardize Docker Desktop environments across teams
  • Operate in regulated environments and must enforce compliance policies

How Settings Management works

Administrators can define settings using one of these methods:

  • Admin Console: Create and assign settings policies through the Docker Admin Console. This provides a web-based interface for managing settings across your organization.
  • admin-settings.json file: Place a configuration file on the user's machine to enforce settings. This method works well for automated deployments and scripted installations.

Enforced settings override user-defined configurations and can't be modified by developers.

Configurable settings

Settings Management supports a wide range of Docker Desktop features, including:

  • Proxy configurations
  • Network settings
  • Container isolation options
  • Registry access controls
  • Resource limits
  • Security policies
  • Cloud policies

For a complete list of settings you can enforce, see the Settings reference.

Policy precedence

When multiple policies exist, Docker Desktop applies them in this order:

  1. User-specific policies: Highest priority
  2. Organization default policy: Applied when no user-specific policy exists
  3. Local admin-settings.json file: Lowest priority, overridden by Admin Console policies
  4. Configuration profiles: Super-set of Docker Admin Console policies. Available with Docker Desktop version 4.48 and later.

Set up Settings Management

You can create settings management policies at any time, but your organization needs to verify a domain before the policies take effect.

  1. Check that you have added and verified your organization's domain.
  2. Enforce sign-in to ensure all developers authenticate with your organization.
  3. Choose a configuration method:

After configuration, developers receive the enforced settings when they:

  • Quit and relaunch Docker Desktop, then sign in
  • Launch and sign in to Docker Desktop for the first time

[!NOTE]

Docker Desktop doesn't automatically prompt users to restart or re-authenticate after a settings change. You may need to communicate these requirements to your developers.

Developer experience

When settings are enforced:

  • Settings options appear grayed out in Docker Desktop and can't be modified through the Dashboard, CLI, or configuration files
  • If Enhanced Container Isolation is enabled, developers can't use privileged containers or similar methods to alter enforced settings within the Docker Desktop Linux VM

This ensures consistent environments while maintaining a clear visual indication of which settings are managed by administrators.

View applied settings

When administrators apply Settings Management policies, Docker Desktop greys out most enforced settings in the GUI.

The Docker Desktop GUI doesn't currently display all centralized settings, particularly Enhanced Container Isolation (ECI) settings that administrators apply via the Admin Console.

As a workaround, you can check the settings-store.json file to view all applied settings:

  • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Docker/settings-store.json
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\Docker\settings-store.json
  • Linux: ~/.docker/desktop/settings-store.json

The settings-store.json file contains all settings, including those that may not appear in the Docker Desktop GUI.

Limitations

Settings Management has the following limitations:

  • Doesn't work in air-gapped or offline environments
  • Not compatible with environments that restrict authentication with Docker Hub

Next steps

Get started with Settings Management: