How to Build and Run Containers with Docker

Are you tired of dealing with the headaches of traditional virtual machines? Do you want a more efficient way to package and deploy your applications? Look no further than Docker! With Docker, you can easily build and run containers that are lightweight, portable, and easy to manage. In this article, we'll walk you through the basics of building and running containers with Docker.

What is Docker?

Docker is an open-source platform that allows you to build, ship, and run applications in containers. Containers are lightweight, standalone packages that contain everything needed to run an application, including code, libraries, and system tools. Docker makes it easy to create and manage containers, allowing you to deploy your applications quickly and efficiently.

Installing Docker

Before we can start building and running containers, we need to install Docker. Docker is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. You can download the appropriate version for your operating system from the Docker website.

Once you've downloaded and installed Docker, you can verify that it's working by running the following command in your terminal:

docker version

This command should output information about the version of Docker that you've installed.

Building a Docker Image

The first step in building a container with Docker is to create a Docker image. A Docker image is a read-only template that contains the instructions for creating a container. To create a Docker image, we'll need to create a Dockerfile.

A Dockerfile is a text file that contains the instructions for building a Docker image. The Dockerfile specifies the base image to use, any additional software to install, and any commands to run when the container is started.

Let's create a simple Dockerfile that installs the Apache web server:

FROM ubuntu:18.04
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y apache2
CMD ["apache2ctl", "-D", "FOREGROUND"]

This Dockerfile specifies that we want to use the Ubuntu 18.04 base image, install the Apache web server, and start the Apache service when the container is started.

To build the Docker image, we'll run the following command:

docker build -t my-apache-image .

This command tells Docker to build a new image with the tag "my-apache-image" using the Dockerfile in the current directory.

Running a Docker Container

Now that we've built our Docker image, we can run a container based on that image. To run a container, we'll use the docker run command:

docker run -p 8080:80 my-apache-image

This command tells Docker to run a container based on the "my-apache-image" image and map port 8080 on the host to port 80 in the container.

If everything worked correctly, you should now be able to access the Apache web server by navigating to http://localhost:8080 in your web browser.

Managing Docker Containers

Once you've started a Docker container, you can manage it using various Docker commands. Here are a few common commands:

• docker ps: Lists all running containers.
• docker stop <container>: Stops a running container.
• docker start <container>: Starts a stopped container.
• docker rm <container>: Removes a stopped container.

Conclusion

Docker is a powerful tool for building and running containers. With Docker, you can easily package and deploy your applications in a lightweight, portable format. We hope this article has given you a good introduction to building and running containers with Docker. Happy containerizing!

Editor Recommended Sites