Part 1. Process isolation and environment-independent computing

Isolation is a core concept to so many computing patterns, resource management strategies, and general accounting practices that it is difficult to even begin compiling a list. Someone who learns how Linux containers provide isolation for running programs and how to use Docker to control that isolation can accomplish amazing feats of reuse, resource efficiency, and system simplification.

The most difficult part of learning how to apply containers is in translating the needs of the software you are trying to isolate. Different programs have different requirements. Web services are different from text editors, package managers, compilers, or databases. Containers for each of those programs will need different configurations.

This part covers container configuration and operation fundamentals. It expands into more detailed container configurations to demonstrate the full spectrum of capabilities. For that reason, we suggest that you try to resist the urge to skip ahead. It may take some time to get to the specific question that is on your mind, but we’re confident that you’ll have more than a few revelations along the way.