bootstrap docker swarm

i like using docker swarm for home labs

assumes you installed docker like this

Initialize Swarm on first docker node (management node)

sudo docker swarm init

it will produced output something like this

docker swarm join --token <some-very-long-token> 192.168.1.41:2377

make sure you copy and keep this command as you will run it on all your other nodes (the IP address should match the IP of this management node, if it doesn't you need to troubleshoot networking).

Initialize worker nodes

On each worker node run the command from the last step

sudo docker swarm join --token <some-very-long-token> 192.168.1.41:2377

the IP is the IP of the management node and doesn't need to be changed as you run this on each node.

Update as of 2026.09.24: all three of my nodes are managers now. the keepalived checks run docker node ls, and a worker refuses it. to promote the other two, run this on docker01:

sudo docker node promote docker02 docker03

thats it you should now have a fully functioning swarm

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