engine/install: SLES no longer supported (#23310)

vvoland · web-flow · commit 2a483c254685 · 2025-09-08T10:30:04.000+01:00
- see: docker/docker-install#466 ## Description  ## Related issues or tickets  ## Reviews   - [ ] Technical review - [ ] Editorial review - [ ] Product review Signed-off-by: Paweł Gronowski <pawel.gronowski@docker.com>
diff --git a/content/includes/install-script.md b/content/includes/install-script.md
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ Executing docker install script, commit: 7cae5f8b0decc17d6571f9f52eb840fbc13b273
 
 You have now successfully installed and started Docker Engine. The `docker`
 service starts automatically on Debian based distributions. On `RPM` based
-distributions, such as CentOS, Fedora, RHEL or SLES, you need to start it
+distributions, such as CentOS, Fedora or RHEL, you need to start it
 manually using the appropriate `systemctl` or `service` command. As the message
 indicates, non-root users can't run Docker commands by default.
 
diff --git a/content/manuals/compose/install/linux.md b/content/manuals/compose/install/linux.md
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ To install the Docker Compose plugin on Linux, you can either:
     [Debian](/manuals/engine/install/debian.md#install-using-the-repository) |
     [Raspberry Pi OS](/manuals/engine/install/raspberry-pi-os.md#install-using-the-repository) |
     [Fedora](/manuals/engine/install/fedora.md#set-up-the-repository) |
-    [RHEL](/manuals/engine/install/rhel.md#set-up-the-repository) |
-    [SLES](/manuals/engine/install/sles.md#set-up-the-repository).
+    [RHEL](/manuals/engine/install/rhel.md#set-up-the-repository).
 
 2. Update the package index, and install the latest version of Docker Compose:
 
diff --git a/content/manuals/engine/install/_index.md b/content/manuals/engine/install/_index.md
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ Click on a platform's link to view the relevant installation procedure.
 | [Fedora](fedora.md)                            |       ✅       |       ✅        |              |   ✅    |       |
 | [Raspberry Pi OS (32-bit)](raspberry-pi-os.md) |                |                 |      ✅      |         |       |
 | [RHEL](rhel.md)                                |       ✅       |       ✅        |              |         |  ✅   |
-| [SLES](sles.md)                                |                |                 |              |         |  ✅   |
+| [SLES](sles.md)                                |                |                 |              |         |  ❌   |
 | [Ubuntu](ubuntu.md)                            |       ✅       |       ✅        |      ✅      |   ✅    |  ✅   |
 | [Binaries](binaries.md)                        |       ✅       |       ✅        |      ✅      |         |       |
 
diff --git a/content/manuals/engine/install/sles.md b/content/manuals/engine/install/sles.md
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 ---
-description: Learn how to install Docker Engine on SLES. These instructions cover
-  the different installation methods, how to uninstall, and next steps.
-keywords: requirements, apt, installation, install docker engine, centos, rpm, sles, install, uninstall,
-  upgrade, update, s390x, ibm-z
-title: Install Docker Engine on SLES (s390x)
+description: Information about Docker Engine availability on SLES. Docker packages are no longer available for SLES s390x architecture.
+keywords: sles, install, uninstall, upgrade, update, s390x, ibm-z, not supported, unavailable
+title: Docker Engine on SLES (s390x)
 linkTitle: SLES (s390x)
 weight: 70
 toc_max: 4
@@ -23,247 +21,35 @@ aliases:
 - /install/linux/docker-ee/suse/
 - /install/linux/sles/
 - /installation/sles/
-download-url-base: https://download.docker.com/linux/sles
 ---
 
-> [!NOTE]
->
-> The installation instructions on this page refer to packages for SLES on the
-> **s390x** architecture (IBM Z). Other architectures, including x86_64, aren't
-> supported for SLES.
-
-To get started with Docker Engine on SLES, make sure you
-[meet the prerequisites](#prerequisites), and then follow the
-[installation steps](#installation-methods).
-
-## Prerequisites
-
-### OS requirements
-
-To install Docker Engine, you need a maintained version of one of the following
-SLES versions:
-
-- SLES 15-SP4 on s390x (IBM Z)
-- SLES 15-SP5 on s390x (IBM Z)
-
-You must enable the [`SCC SUSE`](https://scc.suse.com/packages?name=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Server&version=15.5&arch=s390x)
-repositories.
-
-You must add the [OpenSUSE `SELinux` repository](https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/security:/SELinux/). This repository is not added by default. Run the following commands to add it:
-
-```console
-$ opensuse_repo="https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/security:/SELinux/openSUSE_Factory/security:SELinux.repo"
-$ sudo zypper addrepo $opensuse_repo
-```
-
-### Uninstall old versions
-
-Before you can install Docker Engine, you need to uninstall any conflicting packages.
-
-Your Linux distribution may provide unofficial Docker packages, which may conflict
-with the official packages provided by Docker. You must uninstall these packages
-before you install the official version of Docker Engine.
-
-```console
-$ sudo zypper remove docker \
-                  docker-client \
-                  docker-client-latest \
-                  docker-common \
-                  docker-latest \
-                  docker-latest-logrotate \
-                  docker-logrotate \
-                  docker-engine \
-                  runc
-```
-
-`zypper` might report that you have none of these packages installed.
-
-Images, containers, volumes, and networks stored in `/var/lib/docker/` aren't
-automatically removed when you uninstall Docker.
-
-## Installation methods
-
-You can install Docker Engine in different ways, depending on your needs:
-
-- You can
-  [set up Docker's repositories](#install-using-the-repository) and install
-  from them, for ease of installation and upgrade tasks. This is the
-  recommended approach.
-
-- You can download the RPM package,
-  [install it manually](#install-from-a-package), and manage
-  upgrades completely manually. This is useful in situations such as installing
-  Docker on air-gapped systems with no access to the internet.
-
-- In testing and development environments, you can use automated
-  [convenience scripts](#install-using-the-convenience-script) to install Docker.
-
-{{% include "engine-license.md" %}}
-
-### Install using the rpm repository {#install-using-the-repository}
-
-Before you install Docker Engine for the first time on a new host machine, you
-need to set up the Docker repository. Afterward, you can install and update
-Docker from the repository.
-
-#### Set up the repository
-
-Set up the repository.
-
-```console
-$ sudo zypper addrepo {{% param "download-url-base" %}}/docker-ce.repo
-```
-
-#### Install Docker Engine
-
-1. Install the Docker packages.
-
-   {{< tabs >}}
-   {{< tab name="Latest" >}}
-
-   To install the latest version, run:
-
-   ```console
-   $ sudo zypper install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin
-   ```
-
-   If prompted to accept the GPG key, verify that the fingerprint matches
-   `060A 61C5 1B55 8A7F 742B 77AA C52F EB6B 621E 9F35`, and if so, accept it.
-
-   This command installs Docker, but it doesn't start Docker. It also creates a
-   `docker` group, however, it doesn't add any users to the group by default.
-
-   {{< /tab >}}
-   {{< tab name="Specific version" >}}
-
-   To install a specific version, start by listing the available versions in
-   the repository:
-
-   ```console
-   $ sudo zypper search -s --match-exact docker-ce | sort -r
+## Docker Engine is no longer available for SLES
 
-     v  | docker-ce | package | 3:{{% param "docker_ce_version" %}}-1 | s390x | Docker CE Stable - s390x
-     v  | docker-ce | package | 3:{{% param "docker_ce_version_prev" %}}-1 | s390x | Docker CE Stable - s390x
-   ```
-
-   The list returned depends on which repositories are enabled, and is specific
-   to your version of SLES.
-
-   Install a specific version by its fully qualified package name, which is
-   the package name (`docker-ce`) plus the version string (2nd column),
-   separated by a hyphen (`-`). For example, `docker-ce-3:{{% param "docker_ce_version" %}}`.
-
-   Replace `<VERSION_STRING>` with the desired version and then run the following
-   command to install:
-
-   ```console
-   $ sudo zypper install docker-ce-<VERSION_STRING> docker-ce-cli-<VERSION_STRING> containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin
-   ```
-
-   This command installs Docker, but it doesn't start Docker. It also creates a
-   `docker` group, however, it doesn't add any users to the group by default.
-
-   {{< /tab >}}
-   {{< /tabs >}}
-
-2. Start Docker Engine.
-
-   ```console
-   $ sudo systemctl enable --now docker
-   ```
-
-   This configures the Docker systemd service to start automatically when you
-   boot your system. If you don't want Docker to start automatically, use `sudo
-   systemctl start docker` instead.
-
-3. Verify that the installation is successful by running the `hello-world` image:
-
-   ```console
-   $ sudo docker run hello-world
-   ```
-
-   This command downloads a test image and runs it in a container. When the
-   container runs, it prints a confirmation message and exits.
-
-You have now successfully installed and started Docker Engine.
-
-{{% include "root-errors.md" %}}
-
-#### Upgrade Docker Engine
-
-To upgrade Docker Engine, follow the [installation instructions](#install-using-the-repository),
-choosing the new version you want to install.
-
-### Install from a package
-
-If you can't use Docker's `rpm` repository to install Docker Engine, you can
-download the `.rpm` file for your release and install it manually. You need to
-download a new file each time you want to upgrade Docker Engine.
-
-<!-- markdownlint-disable-next-line -->
-1. Go to [{{% param "download-url-base" %}}/]({{% param "download-url-base" %}}/)
-   and choose your version of SLES. Then browse to `s390x/stable/Packages/`
-   and download the `.rpm` file for the Docker version you want to install.
-
-2. Install Docker Engine, changing the following path to the path where you downloaded
-   the Docker package.
-
-   ```console
-   $ sudo zypper install /path/to/package.rpm
-   ```
-
-   Docker is installed but not started. The `docker` group is created, but no
-   users are added to the group.
-
-3. Start Docker Engine.
-
-   ```console
-   $ sudo systemctl enable --now docker
-   ```
-
-   This configures the Docker systemd service to start automatically when you
-   boot your system. If you don't want Docker to start automatically, use `sudo
-   systemctl start docker` instead.
-
-4. Verify that the installation is successful by running the `hello-world` image:
-
-   ```console
-   $ sudo docker run hello-world
-   ```
-
-   This command downloads a test image and runs it in a container. When the
-   container runs, it prints a confirmation message and exits.
-
-You have now successfully installed and started Docker Engine.
-
-{{% include "root-errors.md" %}}
-
-#### Upgrade Docker Engine
-
-To upgrade Docker Engine, download the newer package files and repeat the
-[installation procedure](#install-from-a-package), using `zypper -y upgrade`
-instead of `zypper -y install`, and point to the new files.
-
-{{% include "install-script.md" %}}
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+>
+> Docker Engine packages are **no longer available** for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) on the **s390x** architecture (IBM Z).
 
-## Uninstall Docker Engine
+IBM has made the decision to discontinue building and providing Docker Engine
+packages for SLES s390x systems. Docker Inc. never directly built these packages
+and was only involved in their deployment.
 
-1. Uninstall the Docker Engine, CLI, containerd, and Docker Compose packages:
+## What this means
 
-   ```console
-   $ sudo zypper remove docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin docker-ce-rootless-extras
-   ```
+- New Docker Engine installations are not available for SLES s390x
+- Existing installations will continue to work but will not receive updates
+- No new versions or security updates will be provided
+- The Docker package repository for SLES s390x is no longer maintained
 
-2. Images, containers, volumes, or custom configuration files on your host
-   aren't automatically removed. To delete all images, containers, and volumes:
+## If you have Docker currently installed
 
-   ```console
-   $ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker
-   $ sudo rm -rf /var/lib/containerd
-   ```
+If you currently have Docker Engine installed on a SLES s390x system:
 
-You have to delete any edited configuration files manually.
+- Your existing Docker installation will continue to function
+- No automatic updates will be available
+- You should plan accordingly for your containerization needs
+- Consider the security implications of running software without updates
 
 ## Next steps
 
-- Continue to [Post-installation steps for Linux](linux-postinstall.md).
+For questions about this decision or alternative solutions, contact IBM support.
+
