docs/getting-started/index.md

title
Getting Started, Part 1: Orientation and Setup

Getting Started, Part 1: Orientation and Setup

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What we'll be covering

This tutorial will create a simple application that runs in a cluster, so you get a sense of how to build distributed applications with the Docker platform.

1. In part one, which you're reading now, we get set up and oriented.
2. In part two, we create a "Hello World" application that identifies itself.
3. In part three, we hook up a visitor counter.
4. In part four, we show how to scale this "Hello World" app as if it were very high traffic, by setting up a cluster.
5. In part five, we show how to manage our cluster with a graphical user interface tool, and roll out code updates.

The application itself is very simple so that you are not too distracted by what the code is doing. After all, the value of Docker is in how it can build, ship, and run applications; it's totally agnostic as to what your application actually does.

By the end of this tutorial, you should have a good sense of how the entire platform works, from setting up your dev environment, running and testing your code, and finally, building, deploying, and managing your application.

Setup

Before we get started, make sure your system has the latest version of Docker installed.

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If you understand that container images package application code and their dependencies all together in a portable deliverable, and your environment has Docker installed, let's move on!

On to "Getting Started, Part 2: Creating and Building Your App" >>{: class="button darkblue-btn"}