diff --git a/docker/README.md b/docker/README.md
index aa87a5ddb..dbe99e830 100644
--- a/docker/README.md
+++ b/docker/README.md
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 # Docker setup for OpenFermion and select plugins
 
 This Docker image contains [OpenFermion](https://github.com/quantumlib/OpenFermion)
-and its available plugins for
-[Cirq](https://github.com/quantumlib/Cirq),
-[Psi4](https://github.com/quantumlib/OpenFermion-Psi4), and
-[PySCF](https://github.com/quantumlib/OpenFermion-PySCF).
+and its several available plugins.
 Check out Docker's [website](https://www.docker.com/what-container) for a description of
 what a container image is and why it can be so useful.
 The Docker-based installation is extremely robust and runs on any operating
@@ -15,57 +12,60 @@ OpenFermion (or any of its plugins) using the standard procedure.
 ## What's included?
 
 - Git
-- Python 3
+- Python 3.12
+- [Miniforge](https://github.com/conda-forge/miniforge)
 - [OpenFermion](https://github.com/quantumlib/OpenFermion)
-- [Cirq](https://github.com/quantumlib/Cirq)
 - [Psi4](http://www.psicode.org)
-- [PySCF](https://github.com/sunqm/pyscf)
-- [OpenFermion-Cirq](https://github.com/quantumlib/OpenFermion-Cirq)
 - [OpenFermion-Psi4](https://github.com/quantumlib/OpenFermion-Psi4)
 - [OpenFermion-PySCF](https://github.com/quantumlib/OpenFermion-PySCF)
 
 
 ## Setting up Docker for the first time
+The Dockerfile is based on the [Ubuntu image](https://hub.docker.com/_/ubuntu) (ver. 22.04).
+Detecting your host's architecture is handled automatically through the following docker image building process, so you don't have to check it manually.
+It creates a Python (ver. 3.12) virtual environment (named `fermion`) using Miniforge and installs all dependencies within it. Psi4 is installed with a [conda command](https://psicode.org/installs/v191/).
 
+You can manually edit the Dockerfile if you need to set up a different development environment (e.g., changing the versions of Ubuntu, Python, Miniforge, Psi4, etc.).
+
+### Building Docker Image
 You first need to install [Docker](https://www.docker.com/).
 Once Docker is setup, one can navigate to the folder containing the
-Dockerfile for building the OpenFermion image (docker/dockerfile) and run
+Dockerfile for building the OpenFermion image (/docker/dockerfile) and run
 
 ```
 docker build -t openfermion_docker .
 ```
-
 where "openfermion_docker" is just an arbitrary name for our docker image.
 Building the Dockerfile starts from a base image of Ubuntu and then installs
 OpenFermion, its plugins, and the necessary applications needed for running these
-programs. This is a fairly involved setup and will take some time
-(perhaps up to thiry minutes depending on the computer). Once installation has
-completed, run the image with
+programs. This will take few minutes (depending on the computer) and disk space (several gigabytes). 
 
+Line 18 in the Dockerfile
 ```
-docker run -it openfermion_docker
+COPY . /root/workspace
 ```
+copy the files in the current local directory (where the Dockerfile is located) when the image is built.
+If you don't want to copy the files, delete the line first and then build the image.
 
-With this command the terminal enters a new environment which emulates Ubuntu with
-OpenFermion and accessories installed. To transfer files from somewhere on the disk to the Docker
-container, first run `docker ps` in a separate terminal from the one running
-Docker. This returns a list of running containers, e.g.:
-
+### Running the Container
+Once the image has been built, run the image with
 ```
-+CONTAINER ID        IMAGE               COMMAND             CREATED
-+STATUS              PORTS               NAMES
-+3cc87ed4205b        5a67a4d66d05        "/bin/bash"         2 hours ago
-+Up 2 hours                              competent_feynman
+docker run -it --name openfermion_container -v $(pwd):/root/workspace openfermion_docker
 ```
+where "openfermion_container" is an arbitrary choice for the name of our docker container. This command will mount your current local directory, where the Dockerfile is located, to `/root/workspace` inside the running container.
+By default, the virtual environment `fermion` is automatically activated in the running container.
 
-In this example, the container name is "competent_feynman" (the name is
-random and generated automatically). Using this name, one can then copy
-files into the active Docker session from other terminal using:
+If you don't want to mount the current directory, run the following command instead:
+```
+docker run -it --name openfermion_container openfermion_docker
+```
 
+### Copy Local Files into the Container
+Line 18 in the Dockerfile (`COPY . /root/workspace`) copies the current files only once when the image is built.
+Local files in any directories can be copied using:
 ```
 docker cp [path to file on disk] [container name]:[path in container]
 ```
-
 An alternative way of loading files onto the Docker container is through
 remote repos such as GitHub. Git is installed in the Docker image.
 After `docker run`, one could run "git clone ..." etc to pull files
diff --git a/docker/dockerfile b/docker/dockerfile
index 81c2ca3f2..72e1bc000 100644
--- a/docker/dockerfile
+++ b/docker/dockerfile
@@ -12,48 +12,35 @@
 
 # Dockerfile for OpenFermion, Cirq, and select plugins.
 
-FROM ubuntu
-
-USER root
-
-RUN apt-get update
-
-# Install utilities
-RUN apt-get install -y bzip2
-RUN apt-get install -y cmake
-RUN apt-get install -y git
-RUN apt-get install -y wget
-RUN apt-get install -y libblas-dev
-RUN apt-get install -y liblapack-dev
-
-# Install Python 3
-RUN apt-get install -y python3
-
-# Install pip.
-RUN apt-get install -y python3-pip
-
-# Install Psi4.
-RUN cd /root; wget http://vergil.chemistry.gatech.edu/psicode-download/psi4conda-1.2.1-py36-Linux-x86_64.sh
-RUN echo '/root/psi4conda' | bash /root/psi4conda-1.2.1-py36-Linux-x86_64.sh
-RUN rm /root/psi4conda-1.2.1-py36-Linux-x86_64.sh
-RUN export PATH=/root/psi4conda/bin:$PATH
-
-# Install PySCF.
-RUN cd /root; git clone https://github.com/sunqm/pyscf
-RUN cd /root/pyscf/pyscf/lib; mkdir build; cd build; cmake ..; make
-
-# Install OpenFermion, Cirq, and plugins.
-RUN pip3 install openfermion
-RUN pip3 install cirq
-RUN pip3 install openfermioncirq
-RUN pip3 install openfermionpsi4
-RUN pip3 install openfermionpyscf
-
-# Update paths
-RUN export PATH=/root/psi4conda/bin:$PATH
-RUN export PYTHONPATH=/root/pyscf:$PYTHONPATH
-
-# Make python point to python3
-RUN ln -s /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/python
-
-ENTRYPOINT bash
+FROM ubuntu:22.04
+
+WORKDIR /root/workspace
+COPY . /root/workspace
+
+# Set PATH for miniforge
+ENV PATH="/root/conda/bin:${PATH}"
+
+RUN apt-get update && \
+    apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends git=1:2.34.1-1ubuntu1.15 \
+    wget=1.21.2-2ubuntu1.1 \
+    libblas-dev=3.10.0-2ubuntu1 \
+    liblapack-dev=3.10.0-2ubuntu1 \
+    # in order to verify github's certificate
+    ca-certificates=20240203~22.04.1 \
+    build-essential=12.9ubuntu3 && \
+    # delete the apt-get lists after the installation
+    apt-get clean && \
+    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Install miniforge https://github.com/conda-forge/miniforge?tab=readme-ov-file#as-part-of-a-ci-pipeline
+RUN wget -O Miniforge3.sh "https://github.com/conda-forge/miniforge/releases/download/25.3.1-0/Miniforge3-25.3.1-0-$(uname)-$(uname -m).sh" && \
+    bash Miniforge3.sh -b -p "${HOME}/conda" && \
+    rm Miniforge3.sh && \
+    conda init bash && \
+    # Create virtual env (fermion) with installing Psi4
+    conda create -n fermion psi4==1.10 python=3.12 -c conda-forge -y && \
+    # Install OpenFermion and plugins
+    conda install -n fermion -c conda-forge openfermion==1.7.1 openfermionpsi4==0.5 openfermionpyscf==0.5 -y
+
+# Activate venv (fermion)
+RUN echo "conda activate fermion" >> ~/.bashrc