15+ Best Docker Tutorials For Beginners — Learn Docker Online

Learn Docker container development for developers with the best Docker tutorials for beginners in 2023.

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A computer program that performs operating-system-level virtualization also known as containerization.

Docker software is on the bleeding edge of technology today. It is also one of the most compelling technologies of the last decade in terms of its disruption to software development, operations, systems architecture, testing and compliance practices.

Docker is becoming a must tool for developers. containers and the Docker’s approach gives you the opportunity to work without any need of dependencies. Docker allows developers to focus on the things which actually matter without worrying about the environment where the application runs.

Tons of companies are using docker in production, today you have access to that same virtualization technology right on your desktop.

1. Docker Mastery: With Kubernetes + Swarm from a Docker Captain

Build, test, deploy containers with the best mega-course on Docker, Kubernetes, Compose, Swarm and Registry using DevOps

Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 ( 27,310 Ratings total)

Be ready for the Dockerized future, where nearly all software is developed and deployed in containers. Welcome to the most complete and up-to-date course for learning and using Docker end-to-end, from development and testing to deployment and production. Taught by a Docker Captain and DevOps consultant.

This course is designed to be fast at getting you started but also get you deep into the “why” of things. Simply the fastest and best way to learn the latest docker skills. Look at the scope of topics in the Session and see the breadth of skills you will learn.

Some of the many cool things you will do in this course:

  • Edit web code on your machine while it’s served up in a container
  • Lockdown your apps in private networks that only expose necessary ports
  • Create a 3-node Swarm cluster in the cloud
  • Use Virtual IP’s for built-in load balancing in your cluster
  • Optimize your Dockerfiles for faster building and tiny deploys
  • Build/Publish your own custom images based on GitHub commits
  • Create your own image registry
  • Use Swarm Secrets to encrypt your environment configs, even on disk
  • Deploy container updates in a rolling update always-up design
  • Create the config utopia of a single YAML file for local dev, CI testing, and prod cluster deploys

After taking this course, you’ll be able to:

  • Use Docker in your daily developer and/or sysadmin roles
  • Make Dockerfiles and Compose files
  • Build multi-node Swarm clusters and deploying H/A containers
  • Build a workflow of using Docker in dev, then test/CI, then production with YAML
  • Protect your keys, TLS certificates, and passwords with encrypted secrets
  • Keep your Dockerfiles and images small, efficient, and fast
  • Develop locally while your code runs in a container
  • Protect important persistent data in volumes and bind mounts
  • Lead your team into the future with the latest Docker container skills
Top Docker Tutorials

2. Learning Docker

The course uses Docker to run complex systems with millions of users and hundreds of containers.

In this course, you will learn:

  • the basics of Docker, including its containers, Dockerfiles (or base images), and capabilities for networking, data management, and infrastructure optimization.
  • how to build your own containers, as well as how to network and link containers.

Here, you will be introduced to the basics of Docker, including its containers, Dockerfiles (or base images), and capabilities for networking, data management, infrastructure optimization, and more.

Learn how to build your own containers, as well as how to network and link containers.

3. Projects in Docker

Complete course to learn and master containerization and deployment using Docker.

In this course, you will learn:

  • detailed introduction into Docker.
  • Docker basics and core concepts.
  • a blog web application using the MEAN Stack — MongoDB, ExpressJS, AngularJS and NodeJS.
  • building a Docker container on one host.
  • creating a Docker Swarm to achieve high availability.
  • how to make use of Docker Swarm to join multiple Docker hosts to the cluster.
  • how to use Ansible to automate Swarm section.

The course uses a project-based approach, where you learn the basics and core concepts by actually building a real-world project from the ground up.

The project will focus on building a blog web application using the MEAN stack and then you’ll learn how to build a Docker container from scratch, from there you’ll learn about Docker Swarm and so on.

At the end of this course, you’ll be 100% confident in working with Docker and even building your very own Docker container from scratch.

You’ll even be able to integrate your own projects with Docker and build your own containers with Docker Swarm.

4. Working with Containers: Docker & Docker Compose

Whether you are a DevOps beginner or just a developer who wants to start working with containers, you’re in the right place.

The course includes:

  • Getting Started with Docker
  • Docker Fundamentals
  • Automation using Dockerfile
  • Advance Docker
  • Introduction to Docker-Compose
  • Exposure to Docker Swarm

In this course, you will learn the fundamentals of Docker such as containers, images, and commands.

You’ll then progress to more advanced concepts like connecting to a database container and how to simplify workflows with Docker Compose.

At the end, you’ll learn how to monitor clusters and scale Docker services with Swarm.

5. Docker for Web Developers

Docker can bring many benefits to your development workflow and deployment process. You’ll learn how to use Docker tools and commands, how to work with images and containers, container orchestration techniques, and much more.

The course includes:

  • Why Use Docker as a Developer?
  • Setting up Your Docker Environment
  • Using Docker Tools
  • Hooking Your Source Code into a Container
  • Building Custom Images with Dockerfile
  • Communicating between Docker Containers
  • Managing Containers with Docker Compose
  • Moving to Kubernetes
  • Reviewing the Case for Docker

In this course, you will learn how to use Docker’s open platform so that you can efficiently build apps that run consistently across any machine.

First, you’ll learn about Docker, its toolbox, the Docker Machine and Docker Client commands, and how all these components help you in your development environment.

Next, you’ll learn to work with images, as well as Docker containers and how to link and manage them. After that, you’ll discover how to get a fully-functional development environment up and running, both locally and in the cloud.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to increase your productivity and create lightweight apps that run the same no matter the environment.

6. Docker Crash Course for busy DevOps and Developers

Learn how to develop and deploy web applications with Docker technologies. Take your DevOps skills to the next level.

Course rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 ( 7,924 Ratings total)

This course covers all the fundamentals of Docker software and teaches you everything you need to know about developing and deploying modern applications with Docker software.

At the end of this course, you will gain in-depth knowledge about Docker software and general DevOps skills to help your company or your own project to apply the right docker workflow and continuously deliver better software.

In particular, you will learn:

  • Containerize a web-based application with a micro-service approach and automate it using Dockerfile.
  • Design multi-container applications and automate the workflow using Compose.
  • Scale Docker workflow with Docker Swarm, orchestrate and deploy a large-scale application across multiple hosts in the cloud.
  • Best practices of working with Docker software in the field.
  • In-depth knowledge about Docker software and confidence to help your company or your own project to apply the right Docker deployment workflow and continuously deliver better software.
  • Invaluable DevOps skills such as setting up continuous integration pipelines.

7. Docker for the Absolute Beginner — Hands On — DevOps

Learn Docker with Hands-On Coding Exercises. For beginners in DevOps.

Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 ( 8,098 Ratings total)

Docker is an open platform for developers and sysadmins to build, ship, and run distributed applications, whether on laptops, data center VMs, or the cloud.

This course introduces Docker to an Absolute Beginner using really simple and easy to understand lectures. Lectures are followed by demos showing how to set up and get started with Docker. The coding exercises that accompany this course will help you practice Docker commands and developing your own images using Dockerfiles and practice Docker Compose. You will be developing Docker files for different use cases right in your browser. This way you don’t really need to have your own environment setup to get some hands-on practice. The coding exercises will validate your commands and Dockerfiles and ensure you have written them correctly.

And finally, we have assignments to put your skills to test. You will be given the challenge to solve using the skills you gained during this course. This is a great way to gain real-life project experience and work with the other students in the community to develop a Dockerfile and get feedback for your work. The assignment will push you to research and develop your own Docker images.

Best Docker Container Courses List

8. Docker for Node.js Projects From a Docker Captain

Build, test, deploy Node for Docker, Kubernetes, Swarm, and ARM with the latest DevOps practices from a container expert

Course rating: 4.7 out of 5.0 ( 380 Ratings total)

In this course, you will :

  • Optimize your local development setup for NodeJS in Docker.
  • Operate smoothly in a team of NodeJS developers using Docker and Compose.
  • Improve the speed and reliability of your Node build and testing using Docker.
  • Get the best NodeJS tweaks to use for dev, test, and prod.
  • Design NodeJS images for use with Kubernetes and Swarm.
  • Learn about security scanning and locking-down your NodeJS apps.

During this course, you will build Node.js Images that auto-scan for security vulnerabilities. Use Docker’s cutting-edge BuildKit with SSH Agents and NPM Caches for better image building. Use docker-compose with Visual Studio Code for full Node.js debug support in Docker. Ensure you’re using all the latest features of Docker Desktop.

In this course, you will learn:

  • Use BuildKit and Multi-stage Builds to create minimal and flexible Dockerfiles
  • Build custom Node.js images using distro’s like CentOS and Alpine
  • Test Docker init, tini, and Node.js as a PID 1 process in containers
  • Create Node.js apps that properly startup and respond to healthchecks
  • Build graceful shutdown code into your apps for zero-downtime deploys
  • Dig into HTTP connections with orchestration, and how Proxies can help
  • Study examples of Docker Swarm and Kubernetes deployments for Node.js
  • Migrate traditional (legacy) Node.js apps into containers
  • Simplify your microservice solutions with advanced Docker Compose features

9. Docker Crash Course — with Java Spring Boot Microservices

Learn Docker containerizing Java Spring Boot Apps — REST API, Full Stack and Microservices with Docker Compose

Course rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 ( 97 Ratings total)

In this course, you will :

  • Learn the Fundamentals of Docker from Zero, no previous experience required.
  • Learn the important Docker Concepts — Registry, Repository, Tag, Image, Container, and Volumes.
  • Learn the important Docker commands.
  • Understand the Docker Architecture.
  • Create Docker images for 8 Java Spring Boot Projects.
  • Learn to use Dockerfile to Automate Building of your Docker Image.
  • Learn to use various maven plugins — Dockerfile Spotify Plugin, JIB Plugin, and Fabric8 Docker Maven Plugin — to create Docker images.
  • Learn to create best practices with creating Docker Images — Improve Caching of Docker Images and create Multi-Stage Docker Builds.
  • You will Containerize Java Spring Boot Todo Web Application talking with MySQL.
  • You will Containerize Java Spring Boot React Full Stack Application with Docker.
  • You will Containerize CCS, CES Microservices, Eureka Naming Server and Zuul API Gateway with Docker and Run them using Docker Compose.
  • Learn to run MySQL, RabbitMQ, and Zipkin as Docker Containers.
  • Learn the basics of Docker Networking — HOST, BRIDGE and NONE.
  • Learn to use Docker Compose to Manage Your Containers.
  • Learn the basics of Microservices.

10. The Docker for DevOps course: From development to production

Updated for Docker v17.06. Learn how to build and deploy web applications with Docker in an automated way.

Course rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 ( 1,601 Ratings total)

The Docker for DevOps course isn’t just your run of the mill introduction to Docker course, you can get that info by skimming Docker’s website.

This course shows you what you can build with Docker and How to do it — of course, you’ll learn the Docker basics along the way.

Together we’ll walk through developing and deploying a multi-service Flask and Ruby on Rails application (more framework examples will be provided as bonus lectures too).

Here’s what you’ll get when you sign up to my course today:

  • Learn how to get your development environment set up to run Docker. Windows, Mac and Linux users will be able to follow along.
  • Next, you’ll learn the Docker basics and we’ll complete a hello world example.
  • You will Dockerize a Flask or Ruby on Rails application and pick up a few best practices on how to create a production-ready application with those frameworks.
  • how to create a staging server so you can test your app.
  • how to keep your app running forever by getting a crash course with a system.
  • You’ll learn how to configure and serve your app over SSL (HTTPS) with Nginx.
  • You’ll get $10 in free hosting credits on DigitalOcean to deploy your application.
  • You’ll learn how to purchase and configure a domain name (and make it work with your new server).
  • Finally, you’ll learn how to obtain a FREE SSL certificate and hook it up.

I’ll also give you tips on where to go next for topics such as:

  • Adding more services to your app
  • Scaling out beyond 1 host
  • Monitoring and alerting
  • Hooking up a continuous integration pipeline
  • Dealing with centralized logging
  • Looking into using various configuration management tools

11. Docker Advanced — SWARM — Hands-on

Explore Docker concepts in-depth with animated lectures, demos and hands-on coding exercises. Learn Swarm and Services.

Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 ( 704 Ratings total)

Learn advanced concepts in Docker with simple and clearly explained lectures with the help of animated slides. The lectures are followed by Demos. We then go through some coding exercises where you will practice Docker commands and building your own application stack using Docker compose, Docker Service and Docker Stacks. You will be developing Docker compose files for various applications stacks and setting up a cluster with Docker Swarm locally as well as on public cloud infrastructures. And finally, we will work on an assignment that will give you exposure in deploying a complex application in Docker Swarm.

In this course we go deeper into the concepts, we look at the different options available for Docker for Windows as it is a hot topic and it can be a bit confusing for a beginner. We will then look at advanced topics such as Docker Service, what a Docker stack is, what Docker Swarm is, what are overlay networks, and how we load balance in Docker. We will look at CI/CD pipeline integration with docker and docker’s support on public cloud platforms.

Best Docker Courses For Beginners

12. Docker for Java Developers

Learn how you can use Docker to supercharge your enterprise Java Development.

Course rating: 4.2 out of 5.0 ( 1,720 Ratings total)

Developing Java applications in large enterprises is no easy task. Every day you are asked to work with many different technologies. In the morning, you might need to save data to a MySQL database. In the afternoon, you might be working with RabbitMQ. Tomorrow you might be asked to work with Mongo or Redis.

Docker is an exciting technology you can leverage for enterprise development. The popularity of Docker has been explosive. Much of the industry focus has been on DevOps. But more so on the Operations part. Docker is clearly a popular technology for running cloud-scale applications like Gmail.

This course starts off assuming you have no knowledge about Docker. You will learn why Docker is not like a Virtual Machine. You will learn how to run a Docker container with a Docker Image pulled down from Docker hub. You will learn how to create your own Docker images and publish those images to Docker hub.

Through the use of the Fabric8 Maven plugin, you will learn how to automate many Docker tasks, such as creating images for microservices. Docker Compose is a powerful tool to run multiple Docker containers. You will learn how to run an application consisting of a Spring Boot web application, RabbitMQ, a page view microservice, and a MySQL database. Through Docker Compose, with a single command, you will be able to start or stop this application on any Docker machine.

You’ll learn how Docker Swarm Mode does container orchestration. In this course, you will provide your own Docker Swarm Cluster in the cloud. You will deploy a containerized Java application into a Docker Swarm Cluster. You’ll see what a powerful feature Docker Swarm’s routing mesh is, and how you can dynamically scale your application.

13 Scaling Docker on AWS

Learn how to build and deploy a fault-tolerant, scalable and load-balanced Ruby on Rails application on AWS.

Course rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 ( 848 Ratings total)

AWS has over a million customers, some of which are the most popular websites in the world. You can be sure that AWS will be a great fit for your web application regardless of what scale you’re running at.

One awesome thing about using AWS is that a ton of companies is hiring people who have experience with it. All of the knowledge you gain from this course can be used to apply for DevOps or cloud computing positions.

The main AWS component that you’ll learn about in this course is Amazon ECS, which is the Amazon EC2 Container Service. It’s Amazon’s take on how to manage a cluster of Docker containers.

The first section of this course will concentrate on getting familiar with AWS and then performing a deep dive on Amazon ECS where you’ll learn everything there is to know about it. You’ll also get familiar with Amazon ECR which is Amazon’s private Docker registry. During this deep dive, there will be plenty of guided labs to get your hands dirty.

The second section of this course will be all about Dockerizing a multi-service Ruby on Rails application, as well as profiling that application with Docker and other open-source tools. If you’re not a developer or have no intention of using Ruby on Rails that’s fine because you can skip the development section. The only thing you’ll have to do is build the Docker image, which will be as simple as running a few commands.

The third section of this course will be taking the knowledge learned from previous sections and deploying the application to production on AWS in a fault-tolerant way. You’ll learn how to calculate costs for a real-life project hosted on AWS and load balance the web application so you can scale out to as many hosts as you need.

Along the way, you’ll learn about many other AWS resources and also learn how to hook up a domain name to a load balancer and secure it with a free SSL certificate.

  • You’ll learn how to get your development environment set up to run Docker. Windows, Mac and Linux users will be able to follow along.
  • You’ll learn what Amazon ECS is and how it differs from similar services.
  • You’ll learn everything there is to know about Amazon ECS.
  • You’ll learn how to create your own private Docker Registry with Amazon ECR.
  • You’ll gain general AWS knowledge on identity and access management, security groups, EC2, S3, ELB, RDS, ElastiCache and more.
  • You’ll learn how to Dockerize a Ruby on Rails web application.
  • You’ll learn how to profile your applications with Docker.
  • You’ll learn how to price out a project on AWS at various traffic loads.
  • You’ll learn how to load balance your web application on AWS.
  • You’ll learn how to wire up a custom domain to your load balanced web app.
  • You’ll learn how to create and use a FREE SSL certificate.

14. Hands on With Docker & Docker Compose From a Docker Captain

v17.09. Everything you need to build, run and compose Docker containers so you can start using Docker for your web apps.

Course rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 ( 361 Ratings total)

This course is meant for anyone looking to improve the way they build and distribute applications. You could be a web developer, sysadmin, operations manager, or someone who is part of an IT/testing/ QA team.

  • Developers use Docker to set up and run applications without the headache of having to install everything manually.
  • Operators use Docker to distribute applications across environments consistently and optimize server resources.
  • QA teams use Docker to quickly build test environments without having to deal with problems.

It doesn’t matter if you use Ruby on Rails, NodeJS, Flask, Django, Java, Golang or any other language/framework. At the end of the day, Docker is a toolset that helps you package up and distribute your applications in a portable and repeatable way. You’ll be able to set up entire development environments in a single command and run those same applications exactly the same in production with total confidence that it will work because you’re just moving around special packages that Docker creates for you under the hood.

15. Docker for Developers

This course shows developers how to leverage this popular platform for application development.

In this course, you will learn how to:

  • leverage Docker for application development.
  • understand basic Docker concepts and use cases for developers.
  • install Docker on Windows, Linux, and Mac computers.
  • use the platform when developing front-end, back-end, and full-stack projects.

It digs into basic Docker concepts and use cases for developers, explaining how Docker and its tools can help you maximize your time.

Discover how to install Docker on Windows, Linux, and Mac computers; use the platform when developing front-end, back-end, and full-stack projects; approach CI/CD with Docker; and explore other tools, including Kubernetes, the widely-used container orchestration engine.

16. Docker and Kubernetes: The Complete Guide

Build, test, and deploy Docker applications with Kubernetes while learning production-style development workflows

Course rating: 4.6 out of 5.0 ( 18,243 Ratings total)

In this course, you will :

  • Learn Docker from scratch, no previous experience required.
  • Master the Docker CLI to inspect and debug running containers.
  • Build a CI + CD pipeline from scratch with Github, Travis CI, and AWS.
  • Understand the purpose and theory of Kubernetes by building a complex app.
  • Automatically deploy your code when it is pushed to Github!.

This is the ultimate course to learn how to deploy any web application you can possibly dream up. In this course you will learn Docker from absolute fundamentals, beginning by learning the answer to basic questions such as “What is a container?” and “How does a container work?”.

Throughout the course you will :

  • Learn Docker from scratch
  • Build your own custom images tailored to your applications
  • Master the Docker CLI to inspect and debug running containers
  • Understand how Docker works behind the scenes, and what a container is
  • Build a CI + CD pipeline from scratch with Github, Travis CI, and AWS
  • Automatically deploy your code when it is pushed to Github!
  • Build a complex multi-container application from scratch and deploy it to AWS
  • Understand the purpose and theory of Kubernetes
  • Deploy a production-ready Kubernetes Cluster to Google Cloud

Update: We have created the latest version top tutorials to Learn Docker. Feel free to checkout the best docker tutorials of the year.

Disclosure: We are affiliated with some of the resources mentioned in this article. We may get a small commission if you buy a course through links on this page. Thank you.

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