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What are software containers?

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Quick answer

Software containers package an app together with everything it needs to run — code, libraries, and settings — into one portable unit. This lets the app run reliably anywhere, from a developer's laptop to the cloud, without 'it works on my machine' problems.

Key things to understand

  1. They bundle an app with all its dependencies.
  2. They run consistently across different environments.
  3. They're lighter than full virtual machines.
  4. Docker and Kubernetes are popular container tools.

People also ask

What are software containers?
Portable packages that bundle an app with everything it needs, so it runs the same anywhere.
How are containers different from virtual machines?
Containers share the host's operating system, making them lighter and faster to start than full VMs.
What is Docker?
A popular platform for building and running containers.