Docker
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What is Docker?
Docker packages an application and everything it depends on into a container, a standard isolated unit that runs the same way on any machine.
A platform that packages software and its dependencies into standardized, isolated units called containers, ensuring the application runs identically on any computer.
Docker eliminates the "it works on my machine" problem. It bundles an application's code, runtime, system tools, and libraries into a container. Because the container shares the host operating system's kernel but remains isolated, it can be spun up reliably and instantly on a developer's laptop, a testing server, or a production cloud.
How it relates to Orbit
Orbit can run a saved development-server command for a registered project, including a Docker-based project command. See Project Window for details.
When you would use it
You use Docker when you need to reliably deploy software across varying environments, or when building microservices that must run independently without conflicting with each other.
Common operations
- Ensuring consistent local development environments across a team.
- Packaging a backend API for deployment to a cloud service.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an image and a container?
An image is the packaged template, built from a Dockerfile; a container is a running instance of that image.
Can Orbit start a Docker-based dev server?
Yes. A project’s Servers tab can save and run a Docker-based command like any other dev server. See Configure Dev Servers.