How to Learn Docker
The loading and unloading of goods used to be done manually by dock workers. Also, waiting for the proper vessel to continue the shipment’s journey to its destination took a lot of time and effort.
After World War II, when the standardized shipping container was invented, cranes took care of all the manual labor that was previously done by dock workers. There was no more need to wait for a special vessel to arrive. Other modes of transportation could then take care of many shipping containers at once.
As a result, the time it took to get products shipped and distributed to customers became more efficient.
Today, Product as a Service (PaaS) technologies like Docker have propelled the shipping industry forward.
This article takes a look at what Docker is and what it’s used for. We’ve compiled a list of resources and tutorials to help you to learn Docker quicker.
What is Docker?
Docker is a service product that uses operating system virtualization to deliver software in packages called containers. It is designed to help developers easily ship, pack, and deploy any application in those containers to run quickly and efficiently.
What is Docker Used for?
Docker cuts down the amount of time it takes to get from the coding stage to the production stage. Docker does so similarly to the way shipping containers cut down the time to get products from their origin to their destination.
How to Learn to Use Docker: Step-by-Step
Here are the recommended steps to learning how to write algorithms.
- Know how to open the command line or terminal on your machine.
It would be great to have practice using the command line before you get started, but it’s not required. - Know how to use a text editor.
Be able to use a text editor – any text editor will do!
Docker is great. It is not necessarily tied to any one language. It’s all about just providing a container to encapsulate your application. You can be a beginner developer and use Docker as long as you are familiar with these two items.
The Best Docker Courses and Trainings
Everyone learns a little bit differently. Compiled here are some of the best Docker courses and training available. Some require a fee, but there are a few that are free as well. This list is in no particular order.
Online Docker Courses
Here are some of the best Docker Courses available online:
Docker for the Absolute Beginner – Hands On – DevOps
- Udemy
- 4 hours, self-paced learning
- Prerequisites: Basic System Administrator Skills, Basic Linux
- $129.99 – Udemy courses are on sale often, so you might wait until this one is on sale!
Mumshad Mannambeth is an IT Solutions Architect that specializes in Cloud, Automation, and DevOps. This makes Mannambeth a fitting instructor for this Docker course. He fills out his lectures with coding exercises to assist you in reinforcing what you learn in his lectures.
Managing Containers with Docker
- PluralSight
- Self-paced learning, 14 courses, beginner-advanced
- Prerequisites: No experience is necessary. According to the Docker website, you don’t need to be experienced using a command line, but you should be familiar with how to open one and type commands.
- Free trial to start; monthly and annual subscriptions available
This career path is part of PluralSight’s online learning community. Courses include:
- Getting Started With Docker
- Securing the Docker Platform
- Managing Docker Images
- Docker Deep Dive
- Docker Networking
Free Docker Courses
A Docker Tutorial for Beginners
- Developed by a Google software engineer
- Self-paced learning
- Prerequisites: Comfortability with command line.
- FREE
This is a free crash course on Docker by Prakhar Srivastav, a former Google and Twitter software engineer. It offers a great step-by-step approach to learning what Docker is all about and running through the process of working with it.
Deploying Containerized Applications Technical Overview
- Udemy
- Self-paced
- Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course.
- FREE
This set of exercises by FreeCodeCamp sets you up for success by solving smaller problems before graduating to more difficult ones. Self-paced exercises use FreeCodeCamp’s learning platform to test your code.
LearnDocker.online
- Developed by Julian Fahrer
- Self-paced, but requires a sign-in to Github
- Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course.
- FREE
This is a free course. Julian Fahrer walks you through Docker step-by-step from the very beginning in online videos and quizzes. If you get stuck, the instructor has an open-email policy to answer questions if needed!
Docker Books
There are several books to assist in your journey to become a better algorithm scriptwriter.
‘Docker Deep Dive’
‘From Zero to Docker in a Single Book’
Docker Deep Dive: Zero to Docker in a Single Book is by Docker Captain Nigel Poulton. Poulton starts from the very beginning: discusses what Docker is, how to work with a Docker container, and how to run your applications in one.
‘Docker in Practice, Second Edition’
‘A Practical Guide’
by Ian Miell, Aidan Hobson Sayers
This book takes a problem/solution/discussion approach to learn how to implement Docker containers on your applications. Miell and Sayers give expert level guidance on solutions to different scenarios you may encounter in your DevOps career.
Online Docker Resources
This is a list of some of the decent resources available to you to learn, practice, or get assistance with Docker. No official ranking or order:
Play With Docker
A good place to take a look for help or a Docker community is actually the Docker website itself.
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There is a Docker community that you can take advantage of as well as playgrounds and tutorials that will help you get to the next level.
Should You Study Docker?
Whether or not you study Docker depends entirely up to you and your needs. Take a look at companies in your area to see if Docker is a part of their solutions stack to see if it would be a good idea to learn. Companies that use Docker include:
- Spotify
- Yelp
- ADP
- eBay
- PayPal
- Shopify
- Uber
Docker is one of the top newer technologies to learn – with its improved efficiency on applications, it won’t be going away anytime soon.
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