This hands-on Docker training is a focused, approximately 45-minute session that teaches beginners how to package and run applications using containers. Students first learn what Docker is and why teams use it, including how it solves the classic “it works on my machine” problem. The course compares bare-metal servers, virtual machines, and containers, and explains key ideas such as Dockerfile, image, container, and registry. Learners also see how Docker images differ from full VM disk formats like QCOW2, and why containers are lighter and faster to start.
Next, students set up Docker, practice essential commands, and study core Dockerfile instructions: FROM, COPY, EXPOSE, RUN, and CMD. The main live demo uses free, open-source tools—nginx on Alpine Linux. Participants create a small project with a Dockerfile and custom index.html, build an image, run a container with port mapping, and view their own web page in a browser. They also learn practical skills: inspecting containers, reading logs, using docker exec, and cleaning up containers and images. A short lab lets each student customize the page, rebuild, and verify the result. By the end, learners can confidently write a simple Dockerfile, build and run images, and understand how Docker delivers consistent environments across machines.
