Use boot2docker or native docker install?

Question

I would like to use docker on a Linux environnent so I have 2 options :

• Native install of docker on my linux mint
• Use docker via a VM with boot2docker (or Vagrant/puppet)

I think that the VM way is more easy to install but you may have some difficulties to share data between your laptop and docker container (you have to install guest addition in virualbox for example ...)

On the other hand, the native install seems less easy but I think you gain some performance and sharing data more easily ...

So I would like to know, for you what are the advantages/inconvenients of the 2 methods ?

What was your choice and why ?

Thanks :)

Answer 1

Native installation of Docker

• If you are already on Linux, there is simply no need for another tool and layer like a VM
• Better performance (since you are not in a VM, but on your machine directly)
• It is pretty easy, e.g. to install Docker on Ubuntu 14 just run curl -sSL https://get.docker.io/ubuntu/ | sudo sh

VM/Boot2Docker

• Docker will not "pollute" your system - if you don't want to use Docker anymore, just throw away your VM, nothing will be left on your system

If you are on Linux already, I would just install Docker and you are done.