12.10.13

Docker: Yet Another Software Deployment Endeavor

Posted in Free/Libre Software at 8:25 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: Introduction to Docker, which comes from the group formerly known as “dotCloud”

THERE are many projects like Docker, but this one is different, or so they want us to believe.

Docker made its debut not too long ago, then making some formal announcements [1,2] and enjoying favourable coverage [3] as well as endorsement from the likes of Red Hat [4]. One pundit called it “an open source startup you need to know about” [5], Wired called it “The Future of Cloud Computing” [6] and another theme in coverage [7] was support for many GNU/Linux distributions out of the box [8].

Docker claims to build “lightweight, portable and self-sufficient containers from any application that run virtually anywhere: bare metal, virtualized, public cloud or private cloud.” The nebulous term “cloud” is not helpful here, so putting it aside for now, what we actually have here is a company formerly known as “dotCloud” approaching bloggers, seeking to generate buzz and hype over something that has been done before, under a different name. Since Docker is Free software (licensed under the Apache 2.0 license) it does deserve some attention. █

Related/contextual items from the news:

Docker Announces Support for All Linux Distributions with 0.7 Release
Docker Announces Support for All Linux Distributions with 0.7 Release
Is Docker the Future of Virtualization Security?
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Set to Include Docker Container Virtualization

Brian Stevens, CTO of Red Hat, talks about the next major release of Red Hat’s flagship Linux operating system.
Docker: An open source startup you need to know about

I love startup companies. I love open source software. I love innovation. Put them all together and you have the ingredients for something incredible. Meet Docker, Inc. (formerly known as dotCloud), the San Francisco based open source company that will revolutionize the way you package and deploy applications on Linux servers.
The Future of Cloud Computing Now Runs on All Versions of Linux
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Dockers goes broader – supporting more Linux distros out of the box

Docker, the popular container technology that, in theory, lets developers encapsulate their apps and run them on bare metal, virtualized and private or public cloud environments, now supports nearly all the major Linux distributions right out of the box.

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