4 ms·

Docker for Windows 17.11 with Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

28 points by sz4kerto 9y ago

carlsborg 9y ago
Docker for Windows already runs Linux containers. This is an update: "The setup for running Linux containers with LCOW is a lot simpler than the previous architecture where a Hyper-V Linux VM runs a Linux Docker daemon, along with all your containers. With LCOW, the Docker daemon runs as a Windows process (same as when running Docker Windows containers), and every time you start a Linux container Docker launches a minimal Hyper-V hypervisor running a VM with a Linux kernel, runc and the container processes running on top."
- sz4kerto 9y ago
  This is a major update as now the Docker daemon runs as a Windows process, not as a Linux process. One VM/container is also a huge change. Before this, you had to manage a single VM that runs all the containers, allocate memory and CPU for that whole VM, assign Hyper-V virtual switch(es) to that VM. Basically this intends to bring Linux containers to Windows Server.
  - lostmsu 9y ago
    Doesn't the new setup with container / VM require much more memory, as now you have to allocate it for every kernel?
- Dolores12 9y ago
  any idea what host windows OS are supported? I suppose only those with hyper-v.
  - atmosx 9y ago
    Exactly, you can't emulate another OS without a hypervisor.
  - cjcampbell 9y ago
    I’m looking for the same answer. I expect you are right, as the MS article linked does talk about some Hyper-V capabilities leveraged by LinuxKit (even though MobyLinux is no longer running as a HyperV VM).
    - sz4kerto 9y ago
      It is running as a Hyper-V VM. HV containers don't share the kernel with the host if they're running Linux; they are actual lightweight VMs.
  - mscrivo 9y ago
    Windows 10 or Server 2016 1709 or higher.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
codeman1181 9y ago
So I have 2 questions still: - On a windows server can I run a Linux container? - On Windows server can I run a Windows container and a Linux container side by side?
- cjcampbell 9y ago
  From my read, the side-by-side feature is a soon but not quite yet (on Win10 or Server 2016). Looks like the groundwork is prepared though there are some features that aren’t fully implemented yet.
- gigatexal 9y ago
  The article says that the his will be available in future versions.
- CInk_Ibrahim 9y ago
  You can run linux containers on Windows Server 1709. But only with Docker EE, because community edition is not available without GUI. I think we will be able run them together in the future.
pedro2 9y ago
I was expecting LCOW to not need Hyper-V at all and to use Windows' WSL. I thought it was the whole point behind WSL -- to beta-test Linux containers support without the need for virtualization.
- cjcampbell 9y ago
  Hyper-V virtualization requirements are removed with this update. It does rely on Hyper-V isolation, which appears to have more in common with Linux namespaces than virtualization. Virtualization isn’t completely off the table. The article mentions a minimal, LinuxKit-based hypervisor. I may be off, but I’m imagining something more akin to what’s happening on macOS via HyperKit.
  - sz4kerto 9y ago
    I don't think you're right. Linux containers will keep running inside VMs (How else could they run? WSL isn't there yet and probably never will be.)
  - jstarks 9y ago
    Not quite. It doesn’t use the existing Hyper-V management stack, but it does use the Hyper-V hypervisor and (trimmed down) virtual device stack.
    - hungerstrike 9y ago
      Will the Hyper-V features need to be installed or will it be installed automatically? I'm just curious because sometimes it messes with your video card driver.
      - jstarks 9y ago
        You’ll have to enable Hyper-V. If you’re having video card issues with Hyper-V + Windows 10 you can email me and we can try to figure out what’s going on.
- chupasaurus 9y ago

28 points by sz4kerto 9y ago

Docker for Windows already runs Linux containers. This is an update: "The setup for running Linux containers with LCOW is a lot simpler than the previous architecture where a Hyper-V Linux VM runs a Linux Docker daemon, along with all your containers. With LCOW, the Docker daemon runs as a Windows process (same as when running Docker Windows containers), and every time you start a Linux container Docker launches a minimal Hyper-V hypervisor running a VM with a Linux kernel, runc and the container processes running on top."

sz4kerto 9y ago
This is a major update as now the Docker daemon runs as a Windows process, not as a Linux process. One VM/container is also a huge change. Before this, you had to manage a single VM that runs all the containers, allocate memory and CPU for that whole VM, assign Hyper-V virtual switch(es) to that VM. Basically this intends to bring Linux containers to Windows Server.
- lostmsu 9y ago
  Doesn't the new setup with container / VM require much more memory, as now you have to allocate it for every kernel?
Dolores12 9y ago
any idea what host windows OS are supported? I suppose only those with hyper-v.
- atmosx 9y ago
  Exactly, you can't emulate another OS without a hypervisor.
- cjcampbell 9y ago
  I’m looking for the same answer. I expect you are right, as the MS article linked does talk about some Hyper-V capabilities leveraged by LinuxKit (even though MobyLinux is no longer running as a HyperV VM).
  - sz4kerto 9y ago
    It is running as a Hyper-V VM. HV containers don't share the kernel with the host if they're running Linux; they are actual lightweight VMs.
- mscrivo 9y ago
  Windows 10 or Server 2016 1709 or higher.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

codeman1181 9y ago

So I have 2 questions still: - On a windows server can I run a Linux container? - On Windows server can I run a Windows container and a Linux container side by side?

cjcampbell 9y ago
From my read, the side-by-side feature is a soon but not quite yet (on Win10 or Server 2016). Looks like the groundwork is prepared though there are some features that aren’t fully implemented yet.
gigatexal 9y ago
The article says that the his will be available in future versions.
CInk_Ibrahim 9y ago
You can run linux containers on Windows Server 1709. But only with Docker EE, because community edition is not available without GUI. I think we will be able run them together in the future.

pedro2 9y ago

I was expecting LCOW to not need Hyper-V at all and to use Windows' WSL. I thought it was the whole point behind WSL -- to beta-test Linux containers support without the need for virtualization.

cjcampbell 9y ago
Hyper-V virtualization requirements are removed with this update. It does rely on Hyper-V isolation, which appears to have more in common with Linux namespaces than virtualization. Virtualization isn’t completely off the table. The article mentions a minimal, LinuxKit-based hypervisor. I may be off, but I’m imagining something more akin to what’s happening on macOS via HyperKit.
- sz4kerto 9y ago
  I don't think you're right. Linux containers will keep running inside VMs (How else could they run? WSL isn't there yet and probably never will be.)
- jstarks 9y ago
  Not quite. It doesn’t use the existing Hyper-V management stack, but it does use the Hyper-V hypervisor and (trimmed down) virtual device stack.
  - hungerstrike 9y ago
    Will the Hyper-V features need to be installed or will it be installed automatically? I'm just curious because sometimes it messes with your video card driver.
    - jstarks 9y ago
      You’ll have to enable Hyper-V. If you’re having video card issues with Hyper-V + Windows 10 you can email me and we can try to figure out what’s going on.
chupasaurus 9y ago