Common Misconceptions
Some common misconceptions about terminology.
It's not a "Docker container"
Docker is a company which develops container-related software.
One of these software projects is the command-line docker program.
The docker command-line program is used to create container images
and run containers. However, it's only one such program which does so.
Alternatives to docker include podman,
apptainer, and Kubernetes.
The vendor-neutral terms container image and container are preferred.
- A container image is a static package which can be used to run software reproducibly.
- A container is an instance of an image. A running container is what crunches numbers.
You build images and run containers.
Use Apptainer, Not Singularity
Singularity was an academic project. A for-profit company called Syslabs forked Singularity, taking its name, and commercialized it. To clear up the confusion, the original Singularity project was renamed to Apptainer.