Prerequisites

Before diving into some information about Docker and working through some examples of using it in the real world, you'll need to have a few things installed to get up and running. We also assume a few things about your environment. Those will be listed here too.

Assumptions

1. You have a UNIX-based operating system. This includes:

   • Linux (specifically Ubuntu, at least for this guide)
   • macOS
   • Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

   Why Ubuntu?

   Ubuntu supports installing Docker Desktop, which gives you a nice interface for working with Docker containers locally, as well as some nice out-of-the-box defaults for container networking (to be discussed)

   What's a WSL??

   https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install

2. You are comfortable in the terminal and are able to execute commands (like docker, git, cd, etc.)

3. You have a general understanding of UNIX file systems

4. You're familiar with the JavaScript ecosystem and package management

5. You have the software installed in the Software to be installed section

6. You're eager to learn more about Docker and how it can improve your development workflow, through production

Software to be installed

• Docker Desktop
• Your favorite Text editor - VSCode or VSCodium is recommended
• Git

TIP

There are some nice extensions, like the Docker extension, to interface with Docker right inside VSCode

Resources

What is containerization?

• From Docker: https://www.docker.com/resources/what-container/
• From IBM: https://www.ibm.com/topics/containerization

What is Docker?

https://docs.docker.com/get-started/docker-overview/