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====== LXC - LXC vs Docker ======

LXC allows the creation and running of multiple isolated Linux virtual environments on a single control host.

  * It allows you to not only isolate applications, but even the entire OS.
  * As there is no preloaded emulation manager software, it runs with no added overhead; i.e. faster and with less RAM.
  * There is no hardware emulation, which means that aside from a small memory software penalty, LXC will boast bare metal performance characteristics because it only packages the needed applications. 

A Docker container does not include a separate operating system; instead it relies on the operating system’s own functionality as provided by the underlying infrastructure. 

  * Docker packages the application and all its dependencies in a virtual container that can run on any Linux server.
  * Packages the entire OS and machine setup, including hard drive, virtual processors and network interfaces.
      * CON:  The resulting bloated mass usually takes a long time to boot and consumes a lot of CPU and RAM.
      * PRO:  It can be transferred and quickly installed onto another host.

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^ ^LXC^Docker^
^Architecture|Supports a fully-virtualized Linux OS including boot-up procedures.|Single image running as an application.|
^Purposes|Run multiple applications in a single Linux VM.|Run a single application within a single container.|
^Requirements|Requires a fully-functional Linux OS.|Running isolated containers simultaneously.|
^Advantages|A lightweight alternative to virtual machines.|Rapid and easy deployment.|
|:::|More flexible.|Application-centric, portable deployment across machines.|
|:::|Data can be saved in a container.|Component re-use.|
|:::| |Versioning: Docker includes git-like capabilities for tracking successive versions of a container, inspecting the diff between versions, committing new versions, rolling back etc.|
|:::| |Component reuse: Docker allows building or stacking of already created packages.  This allows re-use of a 'template' image, for creating other containers.|
|:::| |Shared libraries:  There is already a public registry (http://index.docker.io/ ) where there are many thousands of containers that can be used; which have been created by other people.  **WARNING**:  These are not all secure; with many trojans!|