Tools of the trade
In the rapidly changing world of software development, containerization technology has become an essential tool for developers seeking to improve efficiency and maintain consistency across different environments. Among the leading container technologies, Linux Containers (LXC) and Docker are particularly popular. It’s important for us to understand the distinctions between these options to choose the best tool that suits our project’s specific requirements.
Linux Containers (LXC)
Linux Containers (LXC) is a sophisticated virtualization technology that leverages core Linux kernel features to create lightweight, isolated environments, allowing multiple applications to run efficiently on a single host system. It utilizes kernel features like cgroups (control groups) and namespaces to manage system resources and ensure process isolation.
LXC started as an open-source project aimed at providing a virtualization method at the operating system level, harnessing the inherent capabilities of the Linux kernel. The project, which gained momentum in the late 2000s with significant contributions from companies like IBM, quickly became integrated into the mainstream Linux kernel. This integration provided LXC with native support and optimizations, aiding its widespread adoption and continuous development.
LXC has been instrumental in the development of container technologies, laying the foundation for future advancements, including Docker. Docker initially used LXC as its default execution environment before moving to its own container runtime, libcontainer, which is now part of runc.
Docker
Docker provides a complete platform and set of tools that have transformed the way applications are developed, deployed, and executed. By building on the concept of containerization, Docker has simplified the process to the point where it is now almost interchangeable with the idea of containers themselves.
Launched in 2013, Docker initially leveraged LXC to simplify the creation, deployment, and execution of applications within containers. Docker’s arrival signaled a major shift in virtualization technology, introducing a lighter, faster, and more flexible approach to managing applications compared to traditional virtual machines. Over time, Docker transitioned from using LXC as its default execution environment to developing its own container runtime, libcontainer, which now powers Docker containers.
This shift allowed Docker to offer a standardized software deployment unit, packaging applications and their dependencies in containers that could seamlessly run anywhere, from a developer’s local machine to a production server in the cloud.
When to use which?
LXC is well-suited for situations that require full operating system capabilities or significant hardware interaction, making it ideal for projects that need deep system control or long-term, stable deployments. On the other hand, Docker is tailored for developers who want to improve the efficiency of application development and deployment, especially in dynamic environments where rapid scaling and frequent updates are necessary.
LXC vs Docker