Hands-on notes and guides for containerization from zero to advanced: fundamentals, container runtimes (Docker, Podman), orchestration (Kubernetes, Swarm), and managed services (GKE, EKS, AKS, OpenShift). Everything you need is written here—concepts, commands, and step-by-step instructions. Read deeply in this repo first; use the links at the end of each topic only if you want more detail or the latest official wording.
The repo is structured so new runtimes and orchestrators can be added as separate sections without changing the overall layout.
- Full explanations of concepts (no “read the link for details”—the detail is in these notes)
- Copy-paste commands and hands-on steps
- References at the end of each file for further reading
Core concepts that apply to all container tooling.
- What containers are vs VMs; isolation, images, layers, runtimes
- Image lifecycle: build, tag, push, pull; registries and caching
- Networking: ports, bridges, service discovery
- Storage: bind mounts vs volumes; persistence patterns
- Security: least-privilege images, scanning, minimal bases
Use this first if you are new to containerization.
runtimes/ – Container runtimes
Day-to-day container usage: building images, running containers, composing apps.
| Runtime | Description |
|---|---|
| Docker | Docker Engine, Dockerfile, Docker Compose. Get Docker, concepts, building images, running containers, workshop. |
| Podman | Daemonless, rootless runtime; Docker-compatible CLI. Get Podman, concepts, building images, running containers, pods and rootless. |
New runtimes can be added as subfolders under runtimes/.
orchestration/ – Orchestration
Running containerized workloads at scale: scheduling, scaling, networking.
| Platform | Description |
|---|---|
| Kubernetes | Setup to production: concepts, tasks, tutorials, operations. |
| OpenShift Container Platform | Red Hat’s Kubernetes-based platform: overview, install, configure, develop, Operators, networking, security, observability. |
| Docker Swarm | Docker’s built-in orchestration. Overview, initialize and nodes, services and tasks, stacks and Compose, networking and secrets, scaling and when to use. |
New orchestrators can be added as subfolders under orchestration/.
Managed Kubernetes and container platforms. Full deep-dive topic files.
- Overview and when to use which – GKE, EKS, AKS, OpenShift managed, turnkey comparison
- GKE (folder gke/) – Architecture and modes, node images and ComputeClasses, networking (Dataplane V2), security (Workload Identity), operations and pricing; each topic calls out Kubernetes vs GKE-specific behavior
- EKS (folder eks/) – Architecture and compute (Auto Mode, Fargate, Karpenter), add-ons and Capabilities, networking and storage, IRSA/Pod Identity, operations and pricing
- AKS (folder aks/) – Architecture and cluster modes, node pools and compute, networking (Azure CNI, overlay), identity and security (Entra ID, workload identity), operations and pricing
- OpenShift managed and turnkey – ROSA, ARO; k3s, k0s, RKE2, MicroK8s, Minikube, Kind; certified K8s list
- Containerization basics – concepts, images, runtimes, registries
- Docker – get Docker, first container, workshop (containerize → push → persist → Compose)
- Kubernetes – getting started, concepts, tasks, tutorials, production
- Managed services – Overview, GKE, EKS, AKS, OpenShift managed (ROSA/ARO), turnkey Kubernetes (k3s, k0s, etc.)
Optional: Podman (daemonless, rootless Docker alternative), OpenShift (Kubernetes-based enterprise platform), Swarm (lightweight orchestration).
- Beginners: Start with containerization-basic, then runtimes/docker, then orchestration/kubernetes. Use References at the end of each file only when you want more.
- Adding a new technology: Add a new subfolder under runtimes/ (e.g. another runtime) or orchestration/ (e.g. another orchestrator) with its own README and topic files.
Diagrams and screenshots are in assets/. Reference them with  and use descriptive alt text. Included: Kubernetes and container evolution diagrams; OpenShift stack and installation diagrams; GKE cluster architecture (gke-architecture.svg); EKS (eks-whatis.png, eks-k8sinaction.png); AKS baseline and microservices (aks-baseline-architecture.svg, aks-microservices-architecture.svg). See managed-services for source links.
- Write full explanations in the markdown so readers learn here first; do not rely on "read the link" for core concepts.
- Put optional References at the end of each topic for further reading.
- Add images under assets/ with descriptive alt text.
- Keep commands and examples copy-paste ready and runnable.
Read the content here for depth; use the references when you need more or the latest from the official documentation.