🐳 Required Before Any Agent · All Levels

Setting Up Docker & n8n

Every agent in this library runs on n8n inside Docker. Complete this setup once — in about 10–15 minutes, on Mac or Windows — and you're ready to build all five agents. No prior technical experience needed.

Required Setup ~15 Minutes Mac & Windows 100% Free

📄 Download PDF Guide ← Back to Agents Library

What You Will Install

Two Free Tools

Tool	What It Does	Cost
Docker Desktop	Runs applications in containers on your laptop	✅ Free
n8n	The automation tool where you build your AI agents	✅ Free (self-hosted)

⏱️ Time needed: About 10–15 minutes total. Follow each step carefully and you'll be done before class starts.

Part 1

🐳 Installing Docker Desktop

Docker runs software in isolated "containers" — think of a container like a sealed box containing everything n8n needs to run, with no messy installation and no conflicts with other software on your laptop.

Go to the Docker Website

Open your browser and go to docker.com/products/docker-desktop

Download for Your Operating System

🍎 Mac

Click "Download for Mac"
Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) → "Mac with Apple Chip"
Older Intel Mac → "Mac with Intel Chip"
Not sure? Apple menu → About This Mac → check "Chip"

🪟 Windows

Click "Download for Windows"
Download the .exe installer
Requires Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
WSL 2 must be enabled (Docker will prompt if needed)

Install Docker Desktop

🍎 Mac

Open the downloaded .dmg file
Drag the Docker icon into Applications
Open Docker from Applications or Spotlight
Enter your password if macOS asks

🪟 Windows

Double-click the downloaded .exe
Click Next through the wizard, accept defaults
Restart your computer if prompted
Docker Desktop launches automatically after restart

Wait for Docker to Start

When Docker Desktop opens, wait for the status at the bottom left to say "Engine running" in green.

First launch can take 1–2 minutes. Don't close the window — wait for the green status.

Verify Docker Is Working

Open Terminal (Mac: Cmd+Space → "Terminal") or Command Prompt (Windows: Windows key → "cmd") and type:

docker --version

You should see something like Docker version 27.x.x

Part 2

🤖 Installing & Running n8n

n8n is the automation platform where you'll build every agent. We run it inside Docker with a single command — your workflows are saved permanently, even across restarts.

Open Terminal or Command Prompt

Mac: Cmd+Space → type "Terminal" → Enter. Windows: Win+R → type "cmd" → Enter.

Run n8n Using Docker

Mac / Terminal:

docker run -d \
  --name n8n \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 5678:5678 \
  -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
  docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n

Windows / Command Prompt (uses ^ instead of \):

docker run -d ^
  --name n8n ^
  --restart unless-stopped ^
  -p 5678:5678 ^
  -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n ^
  docker.n8n.io/n8nio/n8n

First time: Docker downloads n8n automatically (~500MB), which takes 1–3 minutes. Scrolling text is normal — wait until it stops.

Wait for n8n to Start

Give it about 20–30 seconds to initialise after the command finishes.

Open n8n in Your Browser

Go to http://localhost:5678 in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

Create Your Local Account

Fill in any name, any email, and any password you'll remember.

🔒 Privacy note: this account is stored only on your laptop. Nothing is sent to the internet, and n8n never asks for payment or personal details.

✅ Success signal: the n8n "Overview" dashboard appears with tabs for Workflows, Credentials, Executions, Variables, and Data tables.

Before Class

Verifying Everything Works

#	Check	Expected Result
1	Docker Desktop is open and running	"Engine running" in green ✅
2	`http://localhost:5678` loads in browser	n8n login or dashboard appears ✅
3	You can log in to n8n	Overview dashboard is visible ✅
4	n8n container visible in Docker Desktop	"n8n" shown as running ✅

🔄 After Restarting Your Computer

Because we used --restart unless-stopped, n8n restarts automatically on every reboot — as long as Docker Desktop is running. After a reboot: open Docker Desktop, wait for "Engine running", then go to http://localhost:5678 — your workflows and credentials will all still be there.

Make Docker Desktop launch automatically at login: Docker Desktop → Settings → General → "Start Docker Desktop when you sign in to your computer".

Reference

Troubleshooting & Quick Reference

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely Cause	Fix
`localhost:5678` not loading	Container has no port mapping	Stop container, re-run docker run with `-p 5678:5678`
Docker says "Engine not running"	Docker Desktop not started	Open Docker Desktop, wait for green status
`command not found: docker`	Docker not installed properly	Re-install from docker.com
"name already in use" error	Old container exists	Run `docker rm n8n`, then try again
n8n loads but workflows missing	Wrong volume / new container	Make sure `-v n8n_data` is in your command
Windows: command not working	Wrong line continuation	Use `^` instead of `\` in cmd

📋 Quick Reference Card

Action	Command / URL
n8n URL	`http://localhost:5678`
Start n8n (if stopped)	`docker start n8n`
Stop n8n	`docker stop n8n`
Check if n8n is running	`docker ps`
View n8n logs	`docker logs n8n`
Remove and reinstall n8n	`docker rm n8n` (then run the full command again)