Docker runs well under Debian 8. Its installation is just a bit more complicated than the Docker documentation states.

0) Check the version of your kernel. For Docker 1.9 / 1.10 you need version 113.11:

$ uname -a
Linux alfa 3.16.6-042stab113.11 #1 SMP Fri Dec 18 17:32:04 MSK 2015 x86_64 GNU/Linux

(the number after “stab” is the important version)

1) VpsAdmin / VPS → Features → you need to turn on Bridge, iptables and TUN/TAP (the VPS restarts itself)

2) Run the following command:

echo "JoinControllers=cpu,cpuacct,cpuset freezer,devices" >> /etc/systemd/system.conf

3) Mount the following mount points:

mount -t tmpfs tmpfs /sys/fs/cgroup
mkdir /sys/fs/cgroup/freezer,devices
mount -t cgroup cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/freezer,devices -o freezer,devices
mkdir /sys/fs/cgroup/cpu,cpuacct,cpuset
mount -t cgroup cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/cpu,cpuacct,cpuset/ -o cpu,cpuacct,cpuset

2016-02-13 (profa) - tried on the Playground of a fresh install of Debian 8 – this step was not necessary

2016-08-11 (graywolf) - this step is not necessary. It is enough if you restart after the previous step.

4) Install the https module for apt:

apt-get update
apt-get install apt-transport-https

5) Add a mirror for Docker:

echo "deb https://apt.dockerproject.org/repo debian-jessie main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list

6) Install Docker:

apt-get update
apt-get install docker-engine=1.10.3-0~jessie
apt-mark hold docker-engine

7) Change permissions:

usermod -aG docker $USER

8) Run Docker using the following sequence:

systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable docker
systemctl start docker
systemctl status docker

2016-02-13 (profa) - Docker started automatically after installation

It should run properly. You can test it:

docker run --rm hello-world 

If Docker doesn’t start, restart the VPS.