Introducing Docker, a platform for containers

Docker is a platform that allows us to package, manage, and run applications in loosely isolated environments, called containers. Containers are lightweight, are isolated from each other, and include all dependencies needed to run an application. As such, we can use containers to easily set up various services and apps without having to deal with managing dependencies or conflicts between them.

Note

There are also other tools, such as Podman (which even has a compatibility layer for the Docker CLI commands), and Rancher Desktop, which also supports Docker CLI commands.

We can use Docker locally to set up and run services in an isolated environment. Doing so avoids polluting our host environment and ensures that there is a consistent state to build upon. This consistency is especially important when working in larger development teams, as it ensures that everyone is working with the same state.

Additionally, Docker makes it easy...