Docker vs LinuxKit

Overview

Docker

Stacks194.2K

Followers143.8K

Votes3.9K

LinuxKit

Stacks13

Followers37

Votes1

GitHub Stars8.5K

Forks1.0K

Docker vs LinuxKit: What are the differences?

Introduction: This Markdown code presents the key differences between Docker and LinuxKit, outlining specific aspects that distinguish these two technologies.

Architecture: Docker is a containerization platform that can run containers on various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS, while LinuxKit is designed specifically for creating custom, minimal Linux distributions. Docker focuses on running applications inside containers, whereas LinuxKit concentrates on building lightweight, secure Linux systems.
Customization: Docker provides a high level of customization for containerized applications by allowing users to define the container environment and dependencies using Dockerfiles. On the other hand, LinuxKit enables users to tailor the components of a Linux distribution to include only the necessary services and features, leading to highly specialized and minimal deployments.
Use Case: Docker is commonly used for packaging, distributing, and running applications in isolated environments, making it suitable for developers, testers, and operators. In contrast, LinuxKit is more suitable for creating embedded, IoT, edge computing, and cloud-native solutions where a small footprint, security, and composability are crucial.
Tooling: Docker comes with a comprehensive set of tools for managing containers, such as Docker Engine, Docker Compose, and Docker Swarm, providing a complete container ecosystem. LinuxKit focuses on the creation of customized Linux distributions and does not include built-in tools for orchestrating containers or deploying applications.
Community and Support: Docker has a large and active community with extensive documentation, tutorials, and support resources available, making it easier for users to get started and troubleshoot issues. LinuxKit, being a newer and more specialized tool, has a smaller but growing community with fewer resources and support channels, requiring more expertise to use effectively.
Footprint: Docker containers typically bundle the application along with its dependencies, resulting in larger image sizes and increased resource consumption. LinuxKit, being optimized for creating minimal Linux distributions, generates lightweight images with only essential components, leading to smaller footprints and improved performance for specific use cases.

In Summary, Docker is a versatile containerization platform for running applications across different operating systems, while LinuxKit specializes in creating customized, minimal Linux distributions for specific use cases.

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Advice on Docker, LinuxKit

Florian

IT DevOp at Agitos GmbH

Oct 22, 2019

Decided

lxd/lxc and Docker aren't congruent so this comparison needs a more detailed look; but in short I can say: the lxd-integrated administration of storage including zfs with its snapshot capabilities as well as the system container (multi-process) approach of lxc vs. the limited single-process container approach of Docker is the main reason I chose lxd over Docker.

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Detailed Comparison

Docker	LinuxKit
The Docker Platform is the industry-leading container platform for continuous, high-velocity innovation, enabling organizations to seamlessly build and share any application — from legacy to what comes next — and securely run them anywhere	LinuxKit, a toolkit for building custom minimal, immutable Linux distributions. Designed for building and running clustered applications, including but not limited to container orchestration such as Docker or Kubernetes.
Integrated developer tools; open, portable images; shareable, reusable apps; framework-aware builds; standardized templates; multi-environment support; remote registry management; simple setup for Docker and Kubernetes; certified Kubernetes; application templates; enterprise controls; secure software supply chain; industry-leading container runtime; image scanning; access controls; image signing; caching and mirroring; image lifecycle; policy-based image promotion	-
Statistics
GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 8.5K
GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 1.0K
Stacks 194.2K	Stacks 13
Followers 143.8K	Followers 37
Votes 3.9K	Votes 1
Pros & Cons
Pros 823 Rapid integration and build up 692 Isolation 521 Open source 505 Testability and reproducibility 460 Lightweight Cons 8 New versions == broken features 6 Unreliable networking 6 Documentation not always in sync 4 Moves quickly 3 Not Secure	Pros 1 Open Source
Integrations
Java Docker Compose VirtualBox Linux Amazon EC2 Container Service Docker Swarm boot2docker Kubernetes Docker Machine Vagrant	Kubernetes

What are some alternatives to Docker, LinuxKit?

Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open source orchestration system for Docker containers. It handles scheduling onto nodes in a compute cluster and actively manages workloads to ensure that their state matches the users declared intentions.

Rancher

Rancher is an open source container management platform that includes full distributions of Kubernetes, Apache Mesos and Docker Swarm, and makes it simple to operate container clusters on any cloud or infrastructure platform.

Docker Compose

With Compose, you define a multi-container application in a single file, then spin your application up in a single command which does everything that needs to be done to get it running.

Docker Swarm

Swarm serves the standard Docker API, so any tool which already communicates with a Docker daemon can use Swarm to transparently scale to multiple hosts: Dokku, Compose, Krane, Deis, DockerUI, Shipyard, Drone, Jenkins... and, of course, the Docker client itself.

Tutum

Tutum lets developers easily manage and run lightweight, portable, self-sufficient containers from any application. AWS-like control, Heroku-like ease. The same container that a developer builds and tests on a laptop can run at scale in Tutum.

Portainer

It is a universal container management tool. It works with Kubernetes, Docker, Docker Swarm and Azure ACI. It allows you to manage containers without needing to know platform-specific code.

LXD

LXD isn't a rewrite of LXC, in fact it's building on top of LXC to provide a new, better user experience. Under the hood, LXD uses LXC through liblxc and its Go binding to create and manage the containers. It's basically an alternative to LXC's tools and distribution template system with the added features that come from being controllable over the network.

Codefresh

Automate and parallelize testing. Codefresh allows teams to spin up on-demand compositions to run unit and integration tests as part of the continuous integration process. Jenkins integration allows more complex pipelines.

LXC

LXC is a userspace interface for the Linux kernel containment features. Through a powerful API and simple tools, it lets Linux users easily create and manage system or application containers.

CAST.AI

It is an AI-driven cloud optimization platform for Kubernetes. Instantly cut your cloud bill, prevent downtime, and 10X the power of DevOps.

Related Comparisons

Docker vs LinuxKit: What are the differences?

Introduction: This Markdown code presents the key differences between Docker and LinuxKit, outlining specific aspects that distinguish these two technologies.

Architecture: Docker is a containerization platform that can run containers on various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS, while LinuxKit is designed specifically for creating custom, minimal Linux distributions. Docker focuses on running applications inside containers, whereas LinuxKit concentrates on building lightweight, secure Linux systems.
Customization: Docker provides a high level of customization for containerized applications by allowing users to define the container environment and dependencies using Dockerfiles. On the other hand, LinuxKit enables users to tailor the components of a Linux distribution to include only the necessary services and features, leading to highly specialized and minimal deployments.
Use Case: Docker is commonly used for packaging, distributing, and running applications in isolated environments, making it suitable for developers, testers, and operators. In contrast, LinuxKit is more suitable for creating embedded, IoT, edge computing, and cloud-native solutions where a small footprint, security, and composability are crucial.
Tooling: Docker comes with a comprehensive set of tools for managing containers, such as Docker Engine, Docker Compose, and Docker Swarm, providing a complete container ecosystem. LinuxKit focuses on the creation of customized Linux distributions and does not include built-in tools for orchestrating containers or deploying applications.
Community and Support: Docker has a large and active community with extensive documentation, tutorials, and support resources available, making it easier for users to get started and troubleshoot issues. LinuxKit, being a newer and more specialized tool, has a smaller but growing community with fewer resources and support channels, requiring more expertise to use effectively.
Footprint: Docker containers typically bundle the application along with its dependencies, resulting in larger image sizes and increased resource consumption. LinuxKit, being optimized for creating minimal Linux distributions, generates lightweight images with only essential components, leading to smaller footprints and improved performance for specific use cases.

Docker vs LinuxKit

Overview