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Beginner: Docker Basics

New to Docker? Start here. This track takes you from an empty machine to a confident understanding of how containers really work.

You will learn how to:

  • Install Docker and confirm it works
  • Run real containers and view them in your browser
  • Tell the difference between an image and a container
  • Understand how containers live, die, and why their changes can disappear

Prerequisites

You should have:

  • A computer running Windows, Mac, or Linux
  • Basic familiarity with the command line
  • No prior Docker knowledge (the first lesson installs it)

Tutorials

  • Get Docker Installed

    Install Docker on your operating system and run a first test.

    Start Tutorial

  • Run Your First Container

    Run a real web server with nginx and open it in your browser.

    Start Tutorial

  • Images vs Containers

    The single most useful mental model in all of Docker.

    Start Tutorial

  • Container Lifecycle

    Start, stop, restart, and remove containers, and see why data vanishes.

    Start Tutorial

When you finish, move on to the Intermediate track, where you stop borrowing images and start building your own.