Grant a Docker Compose service access to all host GPUs

domain: docs.docker.com · 6 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
Community-contributed — not yet independently checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗

Documented steps

  1. Confirm the host has working GPU support: NVIDIA drivers installed and `nvidia-smi` prints device info, and the NVIDIA Container Toolkit is installed and the Docker daemon is configured for it.
  2. In compose.yaml add a device reservation to the service under `deploy.resources.reservations.devices` with `driver: nvidia` and `capabilities: [gpu]`.
  3. Example: services: test: { image: nvidia/cuda:12.9.0-base-ubuntu22.04, command: nvidia-smi, deploy: { resources: { reservations: { devices: [ { driver: nvidia, capabilities: [gpu] } ] } } } }.
  4. Run `docker compose up` and check the container logs / output for the GPU (nvidia-smi should list a detectable device).
  5. When neither `count` nor `device_ids` is set, Compose grants access to ALL host GPUs by default.
  6. Official docs: https://docs.docker.com/compose/how-tos/gpu-support/ and full property reference https://docs.docker.com/reference/compose-file/deploy/#devices

Known gotchas

Related routes

Deploy a Docker Compose stack to Portainer via the REST API
docs.portainer.io · 5 steps · unrated
Prerequisites for GPU access in Docker Compose: install NVIDIA Container Toolkit and configure the Docker daemon
docs.docker.com · 6 steps · unrated
Prerequisites for GPU access in Docker Compose: install NVIDIA Container Toolkit and configure the Docker daemon
docs.docker.com · 6 steps · unrated

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