10 Indispensable Docker Containers for Your Projects

안녕하세요! 🚀 오늘은 개발자, 시스템 관리자, 또는 그저 홈랩을 꾸미는 모든 분들에게 엄청나게 유용한 도구인 Docker 컨테이너에 대해 자세히 알아보는 시간을 갖겠습니다. Docker는 애플리케이션을 빠르고 안정적으로 배포하고 실행할 수 있게 해주는 혁신적인 기술이죠. 수많은 컨테이너 이미지들 중에서 특히 활용도가 높은 “MUST-HAVE” 컨테이너 10가지를 엄선하여 상세하게 소개해 드릴게요.

1. Introduction: Why Docker?

Docker has revolutionized how we build, ship, and run applications. By packaging software into standardized units called containers, Docker ensures that your application works seamlessly across different environments – from your local machine to a production server. This consistency, isolation, and portability make Docker an indispensable tool in modern software development and system administration.

This article will walk you through 10 highly useful Docker containers that can significantly streamline your workflow, enhance your projects, and even simplify your personal computing tasks. Each entry will provide a brief description, key features, common use cases, and a basic docker run command to get you started.

2. The 10 Indispensable Docker Containers

Let’s dive into the list!

2.1. Nginx 🌐

Nginx (pronounced “engine-x”) is a powerful open-source web server that can also be used as a reverse proxy, load balancer, and HTTP cache. It’s renowned for its high performance, stability, rich feature set, and low resource consumption.

• Key Features:
  • High concurrency and performance.
  • Efficient static file serving.
  • Reverse proxying for backend applications.
  • SSL/TLS termination.
  • Load balancing.
• Common Use Cases:
  • Hosting static websites or Single Page Applications (SPAs).
  • Acting as a front-end proxy for Node.js, Python, or Java applications.
  • Load balancing traffic across multiple backend servers.
• Example Docker Command:

  docker run -d \
    --name my-nginx \
    -p 80:80 \
    -v /path/to/your/nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf \
    -v /path/to/your/static/files:/usr/share/nginx/html \
    nginx:latest

  • Tip: Nginx is often used in conjunction with other containers, acting as the entry point for web traffic before forwarding it to application containers.

2.2. PostgreSQL (or MySQL) 🐘

Databases are the backbone of almost any dynamic application. PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source object-relational database system known for its strong reliability, feature robustness, and performance. MySQL is another excellent and widely used relational database.

• Key Features:
  • ACID compliance (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability).
  • Extensible with various data types and functions.
  • Excellent support for complex queries.
  • Reliable data storage and retrieval.
• Common Use Cases:
  • Backend database for web applications (e.g., WordPress, Django, Ruby on Rails).
  • Data warehousing and analytics.
  • Storing user data, product catalogs, etc.
• Example Docker Command (PostgreSQL):

  docker run -d \
    --name my-postgres \
    -p 5432:5432 \
    -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=mysecretpassword \
    -v /path/to/your/pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data \
    postgres:latest

  • Tip: Always use a Docker volume (-v) to persist your database data, otherwise, all your data will be lost when the container is removed!

2.3. Redis 🚀

Redis is an open-source, in-memory data structure store that can be used as a database, cache, and message broker. Its incredibly fast performance makes it ideal for use cases requiring quick data access.

• Key Features:
  • In-memory data storage (extremely fast reads/writes).
  • Supports various data structures: strings, hashes, lists, sets, sorted sets, streams.
  • Persistence options (snapshots, AOF).
  • Pub/Sub messaging.
• Common Use Cases:
  • Caching frequently accessed data to speed up applications.
  • Managing user sessions.
  • Implementing real-time analytics or leaderboards.
  • Message queues for background tasks.
• Example Docker Command:

  docker run -d \
    --name my-redis \
    -p 6379:6379 \
    redis:latest

  • Tip: For a full-featured GUI to manage your Redis instance, check out the RedisInsight container: docker run -d --name redis-insight -p 8001:8001 redislabs/redisinsight:latest.

2.4. Portainer 🐳

Portainer is a lightweight management UI that allows you to easily build, manage, and deploy Docker containers, images, networks, and volumes. It simplifies Docker orchestration, making it accessible even for those new to the platform.

• Key Features:
  • Intuitive web-based GUI for Docker.
  • Manage multiple Docker environments (local, remote, Swarm).
  • Deploy applications from templates or Docker Compose files.
  • Monitor container logs and resource usage.
• Common Use Cases:
  • Visualizing and managing your Docker setup.
  • Quickly deploying and stopping containers.
  • Monitoring container health and performance.
  • Simplifying Docker management for teams.
• Example Docker Command:

  docker run -d \
    -p 8000:8000 \
    -p 9443:9443 \
    --name portainer \
    --restart always \
    -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
    -v portainer_data:/data \
    portainer/portainer-ce:latest

  • Tip: After running, navigate to https://localhost:9443 (or your host’s IP) to set up your admin user.

2.5. Code-Server (VS Code in Browser) 💻

Code-Server allows you to run Visual Studio Code, one of the most popular IDEs, directly in your browser. This means you can access a full-fledged development environment from any device with a web browser, including tablets, Chromebooks, or thin clients.

• Key Features:
  • Full VS Code experience in the browser.
  • Access to extensions, debugging, and terminal.
  • Enables remote development without SSH.
  • Consistent development environment for teams.
• Common Use Cases:
  • Cloud-based development environment.
  • Developing on low-spec client machines.
  • Setting up a standardized dev environment for students or new hires.
  • Accessing your projects from anywhere.
• Example Docker Command:

  docker run -d \
    --name code-server \
    -p 8080:8080 \
    -v /path/to/your/projects:/home/coder/project \
    -v ~/.config/code-server:/home/coder/.config \
    codercom/code-server:latest

  • Tip: Map your project directory to /home/coder/project inside the container for easy access to your code.

2.6. Jupyter Notebook 📊

Jupyter Notebook is an open-source web application that allows you to create and share documents containing live code, equations, visualizations, and narrative text. It’s widely used in data science, machine learning, and scientific computing.

• Key Features:
  • Interactive coding environment (Python, R, Julia, etc.).
  • Combines code, output, and markdown text in one document.
  • Supports rich output like charts and images.
  • Easy to share and collaborate.
• Common Use Cases:
  • Data cleaning and transformation.
  • Exploratory data analysis (EDA).
  • Building and training machine learning models.
  • Teaching and presenting technical concepts.
• Example Docker Command:

  docker run -p 8888:8888 \
    -e JUPYTER_ENABLE_LAB=yes \
    -v /path/to/your/notebooks:/home/jovyan/work \
    jupyter/datascience-notebook

  • Tip: The jupyter/datascience-notebook image comes pre-installed with many popular data science libraries (NumPy, Pandas, Matplotlib, Scikit-learn, etc.).

2.7. Nextcloud ☁️

Nextcloud is a suite of client-server software for creating and using file hosting services. It’s a fantastic self-hosted alternative to commercial cloud storage solutions like Dropbox or Google Drive, offering much more control and privacy.

• Key Features:
  • File sync and share across devices.
  • Integrated calendar, contacts, and mail client.
  • Collaborative document editing.
  • Extensible with numerous apps (video calls, forms, tasks).
  • Strong security and privacy focus.
• Common Use Cases:
  • Personal cloud storage and backup.
  • Small business collaboration platform.
  • Securely sharing files with others.
  • Managing personal productivity (tasks, notes).
• Example Docker Command (basic, requires a separate DB container for production):

  docker run -d \
    --name nextcloud \
    -p 8080:80 \
    -v /path/to/your/nextcloud/data:/var/www/html/data \
    nextcloud:latest

  • Tip: For a robust production setup, you’ll want to pair Nextcloud with a dedicated database container (like PostgreSQL or MySQL) and a web server (like Nginx) acting as a reverse proxy.

2.8. Pi-hole 🚫

Pi-hole is a Linux network-level advertisement and Internet tracker blocking application. It acts as a DNS sinkhole, blocking unwanted content for all devices on your network without needing to install anything on individual clients.

• Key Features:
  • Network-wide ad and tracker blocking.
  • Blocks ads in apps, smart TVs, and more.
  • Detailed statistics and query logs.
  • Customizable blocklists and whitelists.
  • Improves network performance by reducing junk traffic.
• Common Use Cases:
  • Cleaner browsing experience for all devices on your home network.
  • Protecting IoT devices from tracking.
  • Reducing bandwidth usage.
  • Monitoring DNS queries on your network.
• Example Docker Command (simplified, often better with host networking):

  docker run -d \
    --name pihole \
    -p 53:53/tcp -p 53:53/udp \
    -p 80:80 \
    -p 443:443 \
    -e TZ="America/New_York" \
    -v /path/to/your/pihole/etc-pihole/:/etc/pihole/ \
    -v /path/to/your/pihole/etc-dnsmasq.d/:/etc/dnsmasq.d/ \
    --dns=127.0.0.1 --dns=1.1.1.1 \
    --restart=unless-stopped \
    pihole/pihole:latest

  • Tip: After setup, configure your router’s DNS settings to point to the IP address of your Docker host running Pi-hole.

2.9. Uptime Kuma ⏱️

Uptime Kuma is a fancy self-hosted monitoring tool inspired by Uptime Robot. It allows you to monitor websites, services, and ports, sending notifications if something goes down.

• Key Features:
  • Monitor HTTP(s), TCP, Ping, DNS, etc.
  • Attractive and intuitive UI.
  • Multiple notification types (Discord, Telegram, Email, Webhooks, etc.).
  • Self-hosted and open-source.
• Common Use Cases:
  • Monitoring your personal website or server.
  • Keeping an eye on your home lab services.
  • Getting alerts for service outages.
  • Quickly checking the status of external APIs.
• Example Docker Command:

  docker run -d \
    --name uptime-kuma \
    -p 3001:3001 \
    -v /path/to/your/uptime-kuma/data:/app/data \
    louislam/uptime-kuma:1

  • Tip: A great alternative to paid monitoring services for personal or small-scale projects.

2.10. Ghost ✍️

Ghost is a professional publishing platform designed for modern journalism and content creation. It’s a sleek, fast, and open-source alternative to WordPress, focusing purely on blogging and publishing.

• Key Features:
  • Clean and intuitive writing interface.
  • Fast performance and excellent SEO.
  • Built-in membership and subscription features.
  • Flexible theming and powerful API.
  • Dedicated to publishing (no bloat).
• Common Use Cases:
  • Personal blogs and portfolios.
  • Professional content marketing.
  • Online magazines and newsletters.
  • Creating a robust platform for paid memberships.
• Example Docker Command (simplified, often paired with Nginx for production):

  docker run -d \
    --name my-ghost \
    -p 80:2368 \
    -e url=http://your-domain.com \
    -v /path/to/your/ghost/content:/var/lib/ghost/content \
    ghost:latest

  • Tip: Ghost requires a persistent volume for its content and typically benefits from being behind a reverse proxy (like Nginx) for SSL and domain mapping.

3. Getting Started with Docker

If you’re new to Docker, here’s a quick roadmap:

1. Install Docker: Download Docker Desktop (for Windows/macOS) or Docker Engine (for Linux) from the official Docker website.
2. Basic Commands: Learn docker pull (to download images), docker run (to create and start containers), docker ps (to list running containers), docker stop, docker rm.
3. Volumes and Networks: Understand how to use volumes (-v) for data persistence and how Docker networks allow containers to communicate.
4. Docker Compose: For multi-container applications (like Nextcloud needing a database), learn Docker Compose to define and run your entire application stack with a single command.

4. Best Practices

• Persistence is Key: Always use Docker volumes (-v) for any data you want to keep. Containers are ephemeral, meaning data inside them is lost when they are removed.
• Resource Limits: For production environments, consider setting resource limits (CPU, memory) to prevent one container from hogging all resources.
• Networking: Use Docker networks to isolate and connect your containers securely.
• Security: Avoid running containers as root when possible, and only expose necessary ports.
• Updates: Regularly pull the latest images (docker pull image:tag) to get security patches and new features.

Conclusion

Docker containers offer unparalleled flexibility and power for managing your applications and services. The 10 containers listed above are just a glimpse into the vast Docker ecosystem, but they represent some of the most practical and widely applicable tools available. Whether you’re building complex web applications, setting up a home media server, or simply experimenting with new technologies, integrating these containers into your workflow will undoubtedly boost your productivity and simplify your life.

Happy containerizing! 🐳✨

이 블로그 글이 Docker 컨테이너를 활용하는 데 큰 도움이 되기를 바랍니다. 궁금한 점이 있다면 언제든지 질문해주세요! G