Docker Hub is a cloud-based registry service that allows you to build your images and test them, push these images, and link to Docker cloud so you can deploy images on your hosts. Docker Hub provides a centralized resource for container image discovery, distribution and change management, user and team collaboration, and workflow automation throughout the development pipeline.
Docker Hub is the public registry managed by the Docker project, and it hosts a large set of container images, including those provided by major open source projects, such as MySQL, Nginx, Apache, and so on, as well as customized container images developed by the community.
Docker Hub provides some of the following features:
- Image repositories: You can find and download images managed by other Docker Hub users. You can also push or pull images from private image libraries you have access to.
- Automated builds: You can automatically create new images when you make changes to a source code repository.
- Webhooks: The action trigger that allows you to automate builds when there is a push to a repository.
- Organizations: The ability to create groups and manage access to image repositories.
In order to start working with Docker Hub, you need to log in to Docker Hub using a Docker ID. If you do not have one, you can create your Docker ID by following the simple registration process. It is completely free. The link to create your Docker ID if you do not have one is https://hub.docker.com/.
You can search for and pull Docker images from Docker Hub without logging in; however, to push images you must log in. Docker Hub gives you the ability to create public and private repositories. Public repositories will be publicly available for anyone and private repositories will be restricted to a set of users of organizations.
Docker Hub contains a number of official repositories. These are public, certified repositories from different vendors and Docker contributors. It includes vendors like Red Hat, Canonical, and Oracle.