What Are Containers?

Meet containers

A container packages an application with the files and settings it needs to run. Unlike a full virtual machine, it shares the host operating system kernel and starts in seconds.

Why people use Docker

• Same app behavior on your laptop and a server
• Fewer "works on my machine" surprises
• Easy to try software without a messy install
• A shared language for shipping and running apps

Docker's role

Docker is a tool that builds, runs, and manages containers. You describe an environment once, then start it with a short command.

docker run hello-world

What you will practice

This course focuses on everyday Docker skills: pulling images, running containers, writing a Dockerfile, using Compose, reading logs, and cleaning up safely.