---
title: Overview of the get started guide
keywords: docker basics, how to start a docker container, container settings, setup
  docker, how to setup docker, setting up docker, docker container guide, how to get
  started with docker
description: Get started with the Docker basics in this comprehensive overview, You'll
  learn about containers, images, and how to containerize your first application.
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- /engine/getstarted-voting-app/deploy-app/
- /engine/getstarted-voting-app/node-setup/
- /engine/getstarted-voting-app/test-drive/
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- /engine/getstarted/step_six/
- /engine/getstarted/step_three/
- /engine/getstarted/step_two/
- /engine/quickstart/
- /engine/tutorials/
- /engine/tutorials/dockerimages/
- /engine/tutorials/dockerizing/
- /engine/tutorials/usingdocker/
- /engine/userguide/containers/dockerimages/
- /engine/userguide/dockerimages/
- /engine/userguide/intro/
- /get-started/part1/
- /get-started/part5/
- /get-started/part6/
- /getstarted/
- /getting-started/
- /learn/
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- /mac/step_four/
- /mac/step_one/
- /mac/step_six/
- /mac/step_three/
- /mac/step_two/
- /userguide/dockerimages/
- /userguide/dockerrepos/
- /windows/last_page/
- /windows/started/
- /windows/step_four/
- /windows/step_one/
- /windows/step_six/
- /windows/step_three/
- /windows/step_two/
---

This guide contains step-by-step instructions on how to get started with Docker. This guide shows you how to:

- Build and run an image as a container.
- Share images using Docker Hub.
- Deploy Docker applications using multiple containers with a database.
- Run applications using Docker Compose.

## What is a container?

A container is a sandboxed process running on a host machine that is isolated from all other processes running on that host machine. That isolation leverages [kernel namespaces and cgroups](https://medium.com/@saschagrunert/demystifying-containers-part-i-kernel-space-2c53d6979504),
features that have been in Linux for a long time. Docker makes these capabilities approachable and easy to use. To summarize, a container:

- Is a runnable instance of an image. You can create, start, stop, move, or delete a container using the Docker API or CLI.
- Can be run on local machines, virtual machines, or deployed to the cloud.
- Is portable (and can be run on any OS).
- Is isolated from other containers and runs its own software, binaries, configurations, etc.

If you're familiar with `chroot`, then think of a container as an extended version of `chroot`. The filesystem comes from the image. However, a container adds additional isolation not available when using chroot.

## What is an image?

A running container uses an isolated filesystem. This isolated filesystem is provided by an image, and the image must contain everything needed to run an application - all dependencies, configurations, scripts, binaries, etc. The image also contains other configurations for the container, such as environment variables, a default command to run, and other metadata.

## Next steps

In this section, you learned about containers and images.

Next, you'll containerize a simple application and get hands-on with the concepts.

{{< button text="Containerize an application" url="02_our_app.md" >}}
