Docker Tutorial

Learn what Docker is, why developers use it, and how containers make apps easier to run.

Understand the difference between Docker containers and virtual machines in beginner-friendly terms.

Install Docker on your computer and verify that the modern Docker CLI and Compose V2 are available.

Run the hello-world image and understand what Docker does behind the scenes.

Learn the main parts of Docker: CLI client, daemon, registries, images, and containers.

Understand Docker images, tags, layers, and how images become containers.

Learn what containers are, how they start and stop, and why containers can be temporary.

Learn the most important docker run options for names, detached mode, cleanup, ports, and environment variables.

Use everyday commands to view containers, read logs, run commands inside containers, and inspect metadata.

Manage the container lifecycle with start, stop, restart, rm, and cleanup commands.

Learn how Docker Hub works, how to pull images, and how to choose safer image tags.

Create your first Dockerfile and understand how Docker builds a custom image.

Learn the beginner Dockerfile instructions you will see in most real projects.

Build Docker images, tag them clearly, and understand the build context.

Use .dockerignore to keep builds smaller, faster, and safer.

Publish container ports so you can access web servers and APIs from your host computer.

Learn how Docker volumes persist data after containers are removed.

Mount a host folder into a container for local development and live file editing.

Understand Docker networks and how containers communicate by name on user-defined networks.

Configure containers with environment variables and env files.

Learn why Docker Compose is useful for apps with one or more services.

Understand the common parts of a Compose file: services, image, build, ports, environment, volumes, and networks.

Use core Docker Compose commands to start, stop, inspect, and debug a Compose project.

Run an app and database together with Docker Compose service names, networks, and volumes.

Build and run a tiny web app in Docker, then use Compose to manage it like a real project.

Use multiple FROM stages to build application artifacts in one image and copy only the runtime files into a smaller final image.

Understand Docker layers, cache invalidation, and Dockerfile ordering so rebuilds stay fast during normal development.

Choose base images intentionally and learn when slim, Alpine, scratch, or distroless images make sense.

Add container health checks so Docker can report whether the process is actually ready and responsive.

Use Compose build settings to build local images, pass build args, select Dockerfiles, and run multi-service development stacks.

Coordinate service startup in Compose and understand the difference between container start order and application readiness.

Connect services with Compose networks, service-name DNS, network aliases, and frontend/backend isolation.

Use bind mounts and named volumes in Compose for source code, database data, and persistent development state.

Use Compose profiles and override files to switch optional services and development settings on or off.

Create a practical Dockerfile and Compose service for a Node or Express application with production dependencies and health checks.

Build Python web images with virtual environments, Gunicorn, environment variables, and database-backed Compose services.

Build compact Go application images with multi-stage builds, static binaries, and simple Compose integration.

Build Next.js images with standalone output, multi-stage installs, environment awareness, and Compose commands.

Run Postgres with Compose using named volumes, local-only credentials, health checks, init scripts, and safe persistence expectations.

Run MongoDB with Compose, named volumes, local credentials, initialization scripts, and connection strings for app containers.

Place Nginx in front of app containers with Compose, upstream service names, static headers, and simple local routing.

Understand image registries, repository names, authentication, pulling base images, and pushing your own tags.

Create image tags that support releases, rollbacks, CI builds, and human-friendly development workflows.

Handle configuration, env files, and local-only secrets responsibly without pretending Compose env files are a production secret manager.

Use docker logs, exec, inspect, events, exit codes, and temporary debug containers to find container problems.

Read container logs, follow Compose output, add useful application logs, and inspect basic runtime statistics.

Set container CPU and memory limits, understand reservations, and test how apps behave under resource pressure.

Clean Docker images, containers, volumes, and build cache safely while understanding what data each command can delete.

Learn the production security habits that keep Docker images, containers, networks, and secrets safer.

Build images and run containers so applications have only the permissions they actually need.

Understand vulnerability scanning, severity, false positives, and how to make scanning useful in real teams.

Build, test, scan, tag, and publish Docker images from automated pipelines with production-friendly habits.

Use Docker Compose responsibly for deployable environments, small production systems, and production-like staging.

Protect Docker volumes, databases, uploads, and configuration with practical backup and restore workflows.

Understand Docker Swarm concepts so you can recognize where it fits in the orchestration path.

Connect familiar Docker ideas to Kubernetes concepts without getting lost in the full Kubernetes ecosystem.

Design containerized systems with clear service boundaries, configuration, networking, persistence, and deployment paths.

Collect useful logs, metrics, health checks, and traces from containerized applications.

Build a followable production-style web stack with an app container, Postgres database, and Nginx reverse proxy.

Build an API that queues background jobs to Redis and a worker that processes them in a separate container.

Build a full-stack Docker project with a frontend, Flask API, database, and reverse proxy.

Recognize common Docker problems quickly and fix them with practical production-ready habits.

Know the wider container tooling ecosystem and when each tool helps in real workflows.

Show Docker skills in portfolio projects with clear architecture, reproducible setup, and production awareness.

Choose your next learning path after Docker: CI/CD, cloud deployment, Kubernetes, security, or platform engineering.