Preview: Linux Containers on Windows

Microsoft is getting ready for the next big update for Windows Server (check out today’s complimentary Microsoft blog post) and some of the new features are very exciting for Docker users. One of the most important enhancements is that Docker can now run Linux containers on Windows, using Hyper-V technology.

Running Docker Linux containers on Windows requires a minimal Linux kernel and userland to host the container processes. This is exactly what the LinuxKit toolkit was designed for: creating secure, lean and portable Linux subsystems that can provide Linux container functionality as a component of a container platform.

We’ve been busy prototyping LinuxKit support for Docker Linux containers on Windows and have a working preview for you to try. This is still a work in progress, and requires either the recently announced  “Windows Server Insider” or Windows 10 Insider builds.

Running Docker Linux Containers on Windows with LinuxKit

The instructions below have been tested on Windows 10 and Windows Server Insider builds 16278 and 16281.

Be sure to install Docker for Windows (Windows 10) or Docker Enterprise Edition (Windows Server Insider) before starting.

Setup Docker and LinuxKit

A preview build of  LinuxKit is available by simply running Continue reading