Docker & Kubernetes

A blog series

Docker and Kubernetes From Zero

Containers and orchestration in plain English: images and layers, writing a good Dockerfile, volumes and networks, Docker Compose, then Kubernetes pods, deployments, services, config, scaling, rollouts and debugging. Commands run for real wherever the sandbox allows.

Started 
2026
Lessons 
10
Reading 
~2 h

Contents

Every lesson has the same steps: what it is, how it works, a real example, common mistakes, then interview questions with answers you can say out loud.

  1. Lesson 00Why Containers: Images, Containers and How They Differ From VMsThe problem containers solve, namespaces and cgroups in plain words, images versus containers, registries, and the first docker run.12 min
  2. Lesson 01Writing a Dockerfile: Layers, Caching and Small ImagesInstruction by instruction, layer caching, multi-stage builds, base image choice, .dockerignore, and a Node app image built the right way.15 min
  3. Lesson 02Volumes, Networks and Running Containers SafelyPersisting data, bind mounts, networks and ports, environment variables and secrets, non-root users and other safety habits.14 min
  4. Lesson 03Docker Compose: Running a Whole App LocallyServices, networks, volumes, health checks and depends_on, a Node app with Postgres and Redis, and development habits.13 min
  5. Lesson 04Kubernetes Core Ideas: Cluster, Pods and DeploymentsWhy orchestration, control plane and nodes, pods, ReplicaSets and Deployments, declarative YAML and the reconcile loop.15 min
  6. Lesson 05Services, Ingress and Networking in KubernetesHow pods find each other, ClusterIP, NodePort and LoadBalancer, DNS names, Ingress, and what a service mesh is for.14 min
  7. Lesson 06Configuration, Secrets and Storage in KubernetesConfigMaps, Secrets and their limits, persistent volumes and claims, StatefulSets at a glance.14 min
  8. Lesson 07Scaling, Rollouts and Reliability: Probes, Resources and AutoscalingReadiness and liveness probes, requests and limits, rolling updates and rollbacks, HPA, PodDisruptionBudgets.15 min
  9. Lesson 08Debugging Containers and ClustersThe commands to read logs, exec in, describe events, and fix the classic failures: CrashLoopBackOff, ImagePullBackOff, Pending, OOMKilled.14 min
  10. Lesson 09Docker and Kubernetes Interview Questions With Model AnswersContainers, images, networking, orchestration and troubleshooting questions with model answers.16 min

Glossary

63 terms used in this series. Inside any lesson, hover or tap a dotted term to see its meaning without leaving the page. Browse all terms →