Hey everyone! I'm really not a fan of Docker (or Podman, which I know is similar), and I'm looking for other containerization options that might work better for managing large systems, especially microservices. I get that containers have their benefits, but my day-to-day experience with Docker has been pretty miserable. I'd love to hear stories or suggestions from anyone who has successfully avoided using Docker and what tech stack you rely on instead. For context, I've heard good things about NixOS as a packaging system, but I'm curious about other deployment methods, too. What alternatives have you found useful?
5 Answers
Have you thought about using NixOS? It’s got some great alternatives built-in. You can deploy services as systemd units, which gives you similar isolation without using Docker. It does have some quirks, like pulling binaries from private repos, but overall it can work really well!
If you want to avoid Docker, think about going back to the old school approach. You could set up VM images and manage them with something like Proxmox, while automating deployment using tools like Ansible. It's a bit retro, but it works!
Honestly, to suggest an alternative, I need to know what's bugging you about Docker. A lot of folks find it frustrating mainly because of its client-server architecture and root access requirements. Podman might help there since it's got a different operating structure. But again, this entirely depends on your use case!
What about just ditching containers altogether? Running everything in VMs or even on bare metal could simplify things. You might miss out on some container benefits, but it could be a viable option for certain services. You could also look into FreeBSD Jails as a more traditional kind of containerization—it might suit your needs without the Docker headache!
You might also want to explore Hashicorp Nomad. It's not a direct replacement for Docker, but it’s a good option for managing container orchestration without getting tied down by Docker's constraints.
I think Nomad is quite different from Docker, but it's worth looking into if you're seeking a lightweight orchestration tool.
Yeah, I've heard that too. If you’re not keen on the root issue, definitely check out Podman!