Docker is a foundational piece of modern development infrastructure. This guide systematically covers container fundamentals, Dockerfile best practices, multi-service orchestration with Docker Compose, networking, production operations, orchestration, and security.
Target Audience
Engineers looking to learn Docker-based development and operations
Developers deploying containerized applications to production
Teams building multi-service environments with Docker Compose
Prerequisites
Basic Linux commands
Fundamental understanding of web application architecture
Basic networking knowledge
Study Guide
00-fundamentals — Container Fundamentals
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01-dockerfile — Dockerfile Best Practices
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02-compose — Docker Compose
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03-networking — Networking
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04-production — Production Operations
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05-orchestration — Orchestration
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06-security — Security
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Quick Reference
Docker Command Cheat Sheet:
docker build -t app:latest . — Build an image
docker run -d -p 3000:3000 app — Start a container
docker compose up -d — Start Compose services
docker compose down -v — Stop Compose and remove volumes
docker logs -f <container> — Follow container logs
docker exec -it <container> sh — Open a shell inside a container
docker system prune -a — Remove unused resources
Dockerfile Best Practices:
✓ Use multi-stage builds to reduce image size
✓ Run as a non-root user
✓ Optimize build context with .dockerignore
✓ Set file ownership with COPY --chown
✓ Configure health checks (HEALTHCHECK)
✓ Pin base image versions
References
Docker. "Documentation." docs.docker.com, 2024.
Docker. "Dockerfile Best Practices." docs.docker.com, 2024.