Docker is a tool designed to make it easier to create, deploy, and run applications by using containers.
A Docker container image is a lightweight, standalone, executable package of software that includes everything needed to run an application. The image can contain code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, and settings. By doing this, the developer can rest assured that the application will run regardless of the machine that could differ from the machine used for writing and testing the code.
Containers isolate software from its environment. In a way, Docker is a bit like a virtual machine. But unlike a virtual machine, rather than creating a whole virtual operating system, Docker allows applications to use the kernel of the existing system. This gives a significant performance boost and reduces the size of the application.
And importantly, Docker is open-source. This means that anyone can contribute to Docker and extend it to meet their own needs.
In next article we will learn more about Docker and it’s architecture.
