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Mumshad Mannambeth

Docker is an open platform for developers and sysadmins to build, ship, and run distributed applications, whether on laptops, data center VMs, or the cloud.

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Docker is an open platform for developers and sysadmins to build, ship, and run distributed applications, whether on laptops, data center VMs, or the cloud.

This course introduces Docker to an Absolute Beginner using really simple and easy-to-understand lectures. Lectures are followed by demos showing how to set up and get started with Docker. The coding exercises that accompany this course will help you practice Docker commands, develop your own images using Dockerfiles, and practice Docker Compose. You will be developing Docker files for different use cases right in your browser. This way, you don’t really need to have your own environment set up to get some hands-on practice. The coding exercises will validate your commands and Dockerfiles and ensure you have written them correctly.

And finally, we have assignments to put your skills to the test. You will be given the challenge to solve using the skills you gained during this course. This is a great way to gain real-life project experience and work with the other students in the community to develop a Dockerfile and get feedback for your work. The assignment will push you to research and develop your own Docker images.

Docker Course Requirements

1. Basic System Administrator Skills

2. Good to have (Not Mandatory) access to a Linux System to setup Docker to follow along

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What's inside

Syllabus

Docker Introduction
The "Docker Introduction" module provides beginners with an entry point into the world of Docker. Participants will gain an understanding of Docker's fundamentals and its relevance in contemporary software development. This module offers an overview of Docker, explaining its purpose and basic functionalities. Additionally, participants will be guided through a demonstration to install and set up Docker on their systems, laying the groundwork for further exploration of Docker's capabilities.
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides a foundation for beginners in Docker
Teaches fundamental Docker commands for efficient container management
Demonstrates how to use Docker Run to launch and manage containers
Introduces Docker Compose for managing multi-container Docker applications
Examines Docker Engine and Storage concepts for managing storage in Docker environments
Explores Docker Networking and Docker Registry for managing networking and image storage in Docker environments
Includes a section on installing and configuring Docker on Mac and Windows operating systems

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Reviews summary

Practical docker foundation with hands-on labs

According to students, this course is a largely positive introduction to Docker, especially for absolute beginners. Learners consistently highlight the hands-on labs and coding exercises as particularly effective for building practical skills. The lectures are praised for their clear and simple explanations, making complex Docker concepts accessible. While providing a solid foundation across various Docker functionalities including Docker Compose and an introduction to container orchestration, some learners noted its primary focus remains on foundational concepts, suggesting those seeking advanced depth might need further study. The in-browser labs are a notable feature, allowing immediate practice without local setup.
Requires some basic system administration knowledge.
"I strongly recommend having basic system admin skills before starting; it definitely helps in grasping concepts."
"Coming into the course with some Linux command-line knowledge made the initial concepts easier to grasp."
"Be prepared to brush up on some command-line and OS basics if you're completely new to system administration."
Allows practice without local environment setup.
"The in-browser labs meant I didn't have to worry about configuring my own machine, saving a lot of time."
"I liked that I could jump straight into practicing Docker commands right in my browser, very convenient."
"This feature made it super easy to start coding without the typical installation headaches I've faced elsewhere."
Covers essential Docker concepts for a strong start.
"The course provides a comprehensive overview of Docker essentials, from images and networking to volumes."
"I now feel I have a solid understanding of basic Docker commands and Docker Compose after finishing this course."
"It laid a great foundation for me to move on to more advanced topics in containerization and orchestration."
Offers clear, simple explanations for new Docker users.
"As someone new to Docker, I found the explanations very easy to follow and digest, even complex topics."
"The concepts are broken down into simple, understandable lectures, which was perfect for my learning style."
"It really builds up your knowledge step by step, making it an ideal course for true beginners in containerization."
Provides ample practical experience with Docker commands.
"The hands-on labs were incredibly helpful for solidifying my understanding of Docker and how it works."
"I particularly appreciated the coding exercises; they really made learning interactive and practical for me."
"Being able to practice Docker commands directly in the browser was a huge convenience, eliminating setup hassles."
Primarily targets beginners, less suited for advanced topics.
"While excellent for beginners, I felt it lacked the in-depth coverage needed for production-level complexities."
"I wish there were more advanced topics discussed, but then again, it's clearly marketed as 'Docker for Beginners'."
"For someone with prior Docker experience, some sections might feel a bit too basic and introductory for their needs."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Docker for Beginners with Hands-on labs with these activities:
Compile a collection of Docker resources for future reference
Organize and preserve valuable Docker-related materials for easy access during and after the course.
Show steps
  • Gather Docker documentation, tutorials, articles, and other resources.
  • Organize these materials into a central location, such as a digital notebook or online repository.
  • Categorize and tag the resources for easy retrieval later on.
  • 定期回顾并更新您的集合,以确保您拥有最新信息和相关材料。
Practice Docker commands in a sandbox
Reinforce your understanding of Docker commands by practicing them in a sandbox environment.
Show steps
  • Set up a Docker sandbox environment on your local machine or use an online sandbox.
  • Execute basic Docker commands such as docker run, docker build, and docker ps.
  • Experiment with different Docker command options and flags to explore their functionalities.
  • Troubleshoot any errors or issues you encounter while practicing Docker commands.
Follow Docker tutorials to build a simple web application
Solidify your Docker knowledge by building a practical web application using Docker Compose.
Browse courses on Docker Compose
Show steps
  • Identify a simple web application that you want to build.
  • Find and follow Docker tutorials that guide you through the process of building the application.
  • Implement the application's functionality using Docker containers and Docker Compose.
  • Test and deploy your application to ensure it runs as expected.
One other activity
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all four activities
Create a Dockerfile for a custom application
Deepen your understanding of Dockerfiles by creating one for your own application, customizing its environment and dependencies.
Browse courses on Dockerfiles
Show steps
  • Design and develop a simple application that you want to containerize.
  • Create a new Dockerfile for your application and specify the base image it will use.
  • Add commands to the Dockerfile to install dependencies, set environment variables, and copy application code.
  • Build the Docker image using your Dockerfile and test it by running the container.

Career center

Learners who complete Docker for Beginners with Hands-on labs will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 32 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Docker for Beginners with Hands-on labs.
Demystifies container execution mechanics from packaging through distribution, providing concrete recipes for bind mounts, network bridging, and runtime isolation barriers.
Delivers an exceptionally accessible yet technically deep walkthrough of container runtimes, diving into containerd, rootless execution, image architecture, and Swarm clusters.
Gathers 100+ proven patterns and diagnostic workflows, tackling real-world problems around automated container builds, minimal base images, build caching, and volume persistence.
Guides engineers through a structured daily roadmap of practical container exercises, transitioning legacy monoliths into lightweight, containerized microservices step by step.
Presents high-availability architectural blueprints for distributed cloud systems, covering container clustering, horizontal autoscaling, load shedding, and resilience engineering.
Provides hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used by game developers to build and design video games. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic game development concepts to more advanced topics such as 3D graphics and game physics.
Investigates defense-in-depth container security, detailing host kernel hardening, secure image supply chains, automated SBOM auditing, and runtime workload protection mechanisms.
Comprehensive guide to Docker. It covers everything from the basics to advanced concepts such as Docker Swarm and Docker Compose.
Provides hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used by data scientists to collect, clean, analyze, and visualize data. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic data science concepts to more advanced topics such as machine learning and deep learning.
Provides hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used by machine learning engineers to build and train machine learning models. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic machine learning concepts to more advanced topics such as deep learning and natural language processing.
Provides hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used by deep learning engineers to build and train deep learning models. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic deep learning concepts to more advanced topics such as convolutional neural networks and recurrent neural networks.
Provides hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used by roboticists to build and program robots. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic robotics concepts to more advanced topics such as computer vision and navigation.
Provides hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used by embedded systems engineers to design and build embedded systems. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic embedded systems concepts to more advanced topics such as real-time operating systems and embedded networking.
Provides hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used by computer architects to design and build computer systems. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic computer architecture concepts to more advanced topics such as pipelining and multi-core processors.
Provides hands-on experience with the tools and techniques used by mobile developers to build and design mobile applications. It covers a wide range of topics, from basic mobile development concepts to more advanced topics such as native app development and hybrid app development.
Furnishes pragmatic configuration recipes for systems administrators, tackling multi-container Compose orchestration, private registry management, and host storage performance.
Explores enterprise container operations at scale, walking through security vulnerability scanning, multi-node clustering, secrets rotation, and automated infrastructure monitoring.
Addresses cluster-wide container orchestration and automated rollouts, detailing Swarm scheduling algorithms, service discovery, overlay networks, and declarative stack manifests.
Unpacks the transition from standalone Docker engines to Kubernetes orchestration, exploring pod abstractions, deployment manifests, service mesh concepts, and resource governance.
Examines cloud-native patterns for containerized applications, illustrating twelve-factor design principles, health check probes, stateless service tiers, and persistent state stores.
Details automated build and release pipelines, showing how to trigger multi-stage container builds, run automated unit test runners, and publish versioned artifacts via Jenkins CI.
Introduces containerized developer environments, explaining how to synchronize local code volumes, configure live reloaders, and establish consistent development stacks across teams.
Provides a comprehensive overview of Docker Registry, covering everything from basic concepts to advanced topics such as security and scalability. It is written by John Smith, a Docker Captain and Docker Certified Architect.
Focuses on decomposing monolithic Java enterprise services into portable containers, illustrating service discovery, container communication, and load balancer configurations.
Walks through native container orchestration topologies, exploring consensus algorithms, service task distribution, ingress routing meshes, and fault-tolerant node failover.
Bridges network perimeter security and container ingress, demonstrating how reverse tunneling and outbound-only mTLS connections eliminate open inbound firewall attack surfaces.
Connects container orchestration with developer application stacks, guiding engineers through containerizing microservices, wiring Terraform provisioning, and staging clusters.
Quick and easy guide to getting started with Docker. It covers everything you need to know to get up and running with Docker in no time.
Deep dive into the internals of Docker. It covers everything from the Docker architecture to the Docker APIs.

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