Docker is a platform that enables developers to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of applications using containerization. Containers allow you to package an application with all its dependencies and configuration files into a single, lightweight unit that can run consistently on any environment that supports Docker, regardless of the underlying infrastructure. This isolation ensures that your software performs uniformly on different operating systems and cloud providers, enhancing portability and consistency across diverse environments. Docker provides tools such as Docker Compose for managing multi-container applications, and Docker Hub for storing and sharing container images, which streamline the development workflow and encourage efficient collaboration among teams. Its capability to integrate seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines further accelerates the shipping of applications by ensuring code compliance and quick rollout of new features. For application developers, Docker significantly reduces "it works on my machine" issues, allowing you to focus more on writing code rather than dealing with environmental variables.

View the most prominent open source Docker projects in the list below. Click on a specific project to view its alternative or complementary packages.