Getting Started with Docker

Docker has become an essential tool in modern software development, enabling developers to build, share, and run applications seamlessly. If you’re new to Docker, this guide will walk you through setting it up, learning basic Docker commands, and running your very first container.

Why Start with Docker?

• Portability: Package your application and its dependencies into a container that runs consistently across environments.
• Efficiency: Docker containers are lightweight and consume fewer resources than traditional virtual machines.
• Speed: Deploy applications faster with reusable container images.

Step 1: Installing Docker

The first step to using Docker is installation. Follow these steps based on your operating system:

For Windows and macOS:

1. Visit the Docker Desktop page.
2. Download and install Docker Desktop based on your OS.
3. After installation, launch Docker Desktop and ensure it’s running.
4. Verify the installation by opening a terminal and running:

For Linux:

• Update your package index:

• Install Docker:

• Start the Docker service and enable it to run at startup:

• Verify the installation:

Step 2: Understanding Docker CLI Basics

Docker’s command-line interface (CLI) is where everything comes together. Here are some fundamental commands to get you started:

• Check Docker installation:

• Run your first container:

This command pulls the hello-world image from Docker Hub and runs it locally. If successful, you’ll see a friendly message confirming Docker is working correctly.

• List running containers:

• List all containers (running and stopped):

• Stop a container:

• Remove a container:

Step 3: Running Your First Dockerized App

Let’s create and run a simple containerized application. We’ll use an official Nginx (web server) image from Docker Hub.

• Pull the Nginx image:

• Run the Nginx container:

• The -d flag runs the container in detached mode.

• The -p flag maps port 80 inside the container to port 8080 on your machine.

Open a browser and visit https://localhost:8080. You should see the Nginx welcome page!

Step 4: Managing Containers

Here are some tips for managing your containers:

• View logs for a container:

• Restart a stopped container:

• Remove unused images and containers to save space:

Next Steps

Congratulations! If you’ve followed along, then you’ve taken your first steps with Docker. To dive deeper into enhancing your skills, explore creating your own Dockerfile to define custom containers, or dive into Docker Compose for managing multi-container applications.

Stay tuned for next week’s article, where we’ll explore building and deploying applications with Docker. Until then, keep containerizing and strengthening your skills!