Docker 101
Tutorials – Docker
You might think Docker is a tool reserved for gnarly sys admins, useful only to service companies that run complicated SaaS applications, but that is not true: Docker is useful for everybody.
Docker [1] manages and runs containers, a thing that acts like an operating system. It is similar to a virtual machine, but a container uses a lot of the underlying operating system (called the "host") to work. Instead of building a whole operating system with emulated hardware, its own kernel, and so on and so forth, a container uses everything it can from the underlying machine, and, if it is well-designed, implements only the bare essentials to run the application or service you want it to run.
Whereas virtual machines are designed to run everything a regular machine can run, containers are usually designed to run very specific jobs. That is why Docker is so popular for online platforms: You can have a blogging system in one container, a user forum in another, a store in another, and the database engine they all use in the background in another. Every container is perfectly isolated from the others. Docker allows you to link them up and pass information between them. If one goes down, the rest continue working; when the time comes to migrate to a new host, you just have to copy over the containers.
But there's more: Docker is building a library of images [2] that lets you enjoy whole services just by downloading and running them. These libraries are provided by the Docker company or shared by users and go from the very, very general, like a WordPress container [3], to the very, very niche, like a container that provides the framework to run a Minetest [4] server [5].
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Linux Kernel 6.16 Reaches EOL
Linux kernel 6.16 has reached its end of life, which means you'll need to upgrade to the next stable release, Linux kernel 6.17.
-
Amazon Ditches Android for a Linux-Based OS
Amazon has migrated from Android to the Linux-based Vega OS for its Fire TV.
-
Cairo Dock 3.6 Now Available for More Compositors
If you're a fan of third-party desktop docks, then the latest release of Cairo Dock with Wayland support is for you.
-
System76 Unleashes Pop!_OS 24.04 Beta
System76's first beta of Pop!_OS 24.04 is an impressive feat.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.