Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by _xhok on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @03:20PM (#6129357)

Can someone please explain what a container is? Googling 'container' doesn't seem to give me useful or relevant results.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by philips on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @03:41PM (#6129507)

A Linux machine has the Kernel which deals with the hardware and then a filesystem with everything required to run applications. A container is a Linux machine without the Kernel.

As an example: with containers you can run a database that needs a CentOS environment on the same physical machine that is running an application server that expects a Debian looking environment. All without the performance hit you would take from VMs.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by nzgrover on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @06:55PM (#6130674)

So... it's a chroot jail?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by philips on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @07:19PM (#6130777)

In a way. However, you can run a full machine from init on down and fully isolate networking, process namespaces and resources like memory or CPU.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by gonzo on Tuesday August 13, 2013 @03:53PM (#6207865)

Like VPS in FreeBSD 10

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by chebucto on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @03:25PM (#6129385)

I had the same question. I was eventually plopped here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system-level_virtual...

"Operating system-level virtualization is a server virtualization method where the kernel of an operating system allows for multiple isolated user-space instances, instead of just one. Such instances (often called containers, VEs, VPSs or jails) may look and feel like a real server, from the point of view of its owner. On Unix systems, this technology can be thought of as an advanced implementation of the standard chroot mechanism. In addition to isolation mechanisms, the kernel often provides resource management features to limit the impact of one container's activities on the other containers."

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by xemoka on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @03:28PM (#6129417)

A pretty good overview of the different types of virtualization (and non) is available on the SmartOS Wiki:

http://wiki.smartos.org/display/DOC/SmartOS+Virtualization

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by srgseg on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @03:29PM (#6129425)

This presentation on Docker and Containers explains it very well, and is well worth the read http://www.docker.io/about/

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by wmf on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @03:27PM (#6129407)

https://www.google.com/search?q=container+based+virtualizati...

http://lxc.sourceforge.net/

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by gojomo on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @08:15PM (#6131025)

Indeed, while the name 'container' is apt and helpful for the analogy to standardized shipping-containers, is somewhat generic and has many collisions.

Maybe it needs an extra distinguishing flourish for distinction? Kontainer? Softainer? DContainer?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Show HN: CoreOS, a Linux distro for containers by damncabbage on Tuesday July 30, 2013 @08:32PM (#6131096)

"LXC" (for LinuX Container) will get you what you're looking for.

[ Parent | on HN ]