Containers with Docker
Build and run containers on the Lantern's own server.
Planned. This module is part of the plan and is not written yet.
Why it matters
Software for the Lantern's server has to behave the same on either of its two mini PCs. A container packs an app with everything it needs, so it runs the same anywhere.
Draft outline · in review- For
- Level 14–15 · 100 Level to 200 Level
- Inside
- 5 lessons and a test · about 90 minutes
- Topic
- Containers (Docker) · core, 2 of 4
Inside the module.
5 lessons in order, about 90 minutes in all, then a short test. Learners go at their own pace; the minutes are a guide, not a timetable.
Draft outline · in review
Lesson 1: Containers and virtual machines
A virtual machine has its own operating system; a container shares the host's kernel and starts in seconds.
Explain15 min, from minute 0
Lesson 2: Running an image
docker run, docker ps and docker stop on the Lantern's server.
Worked example15 min, from minute 15
Lesson 3: Writing a Dockerfile
FROM, WORKDIR, COPY and CMD: a recipe for an image.
Worked example20 min, from minute 30
Lesson 4: Build and run your own
Containerise a small Python web app and run two copies of it side by side.
Lab30 min, from minute 50
Lesson 5: Check your skills
Read Dockerfiles and explain each line.
Review10 min, from minute 80
End-of-module test
Explain how a container differs from a virtual machine, and build and run a container image from a Dockerfile.
Mastered at 85% or more. Retake it until you pass; nothing is lost, and each try gives feedback.
Already know it? A Challenge Test (planned) clears the whole module: 90% overall, no objective below 75%.
Last stageafter about 90 min
Practicalities
Draft outline · in reviewBuilt to run offline
Planned to run on the Lantern's own computer, with no internet needed.
Languages
Planned first in English; every module aims to reach all of the Lantern's languages.
Try a question.
One question from the module, as a learner would meet it. Have a go, then open the worked solution a step at a time.
Draft outline · in review
Here is a Dockerfile for a small Python app: FROM python:3.12-slim WORKDIR /app COPY app.py . CMD ["python", "app.py"] Which two commands build an image called hello from this folder and then run it?
Work it out on paper first, then show the answer and mark it yourself.
Particulars
Where it sits
What a learner can do after it
- Explain what a container is and how it differs from a virtual machine.
- Build and run a container image.
Needs first
Unlocks
Nothing requires this module yet.
Suggested before
Level
Level 14–15 · 100 Level to 200 Level
Level mappings are approximate. A qualified teacher or lecturer in each country must check them before they appear in the app. Levels 13–18 describe the content, not the learner: “Level 15” means material usually taught in a second-year university course, whoever chooses to learn it.
Difficulty for its level
2 of 4 · Core
Time
About 90 minutes
Alignments
None drafted yet.
Alignment in review until a qualified teacher or lecturer checks it. No exam body, university or vendor endorses us; learners still sit the real exam. University-level modules give knowledge, not university credit.
Challenge Test
Planned: a Challenge Test to prove you know it and skip it. Pass at 90% overall, with no objective below 75%.
University courses it previews
Computer Science, Cloud Engineering, Information Technology
On these pathways
The route here.
Everything this module builds on, drawn as a route from its foundations. Solid lanes must be mastered first, or cleared by a Challenge Test; dashed lanes are suggestions that never lock anything.
- CO-SYS-OPS-01What an operating system doesCoding · JSS 2 to SSS 2 (Level 8–11) · Planned
- From here on: Beyond school · university levelCO-CLD-CTR-01Containers with DockerCoding · 100 Level to 200 Level (Level 14–15) · Planned · the destination Needs What an operating system does (required).
Help light the room where this is learned.
Every route on this map starts in a classroom with 24 stations, a tutor that works offline and a facilitator upstairs. Four are planned and waiting for light.