Master Docker Through Hands-On Labs
Learn Docker by building, breaking, diagnosing, and repairing real container environments. Complete guided labs, validate your work, and track your progress.
3 free labs · no card required · run on your own machine
This is not a video course. Every lab is a realistic scenario with a pre-configured project, intentionally broken components, clear objectives, hints, automated validation, a detailed solution, troubleshooting lessons, interview questions, and downloadable source files.
Eight structured paths, beginner to advanced
Docker Fundamentals
Go from zero to confidently running, inspecting, and cleaning up containers. The foundation every other path builds on.
Docker Compose
Define and run multi-container applications declaratively — the day-to-day tool for local stacks and small deployments.
Docker Networking
Understand how containers talk — to each other, to the host, and to the world — and how to debug it when they don’t.
Docker Storage
Keep data safe across container restarts and rebuilds — volumes, bind mounts, permissions, and backup/restore.
Docker Image Engineering
Build small, fast, secure images — layer caching, multi-stage builds, non-root users, and registry publishing.
Docker Security
Harden containers against the most common real-world mistakes — root, capabilities, secrets, and the Docker socket.
Docker Monitoring & Troubleshooting
Diagnose sick containers and stand up real observability — health, logs, resource limits, Prometheus, Grafana, and alerts.
Docker CI/CD & Production Operations
Ship containers safely — automated builds, image scanning, deploy gates, rollbacks, and incident response under fire.
Start breaking things
Run Your First Container
Pull an image, run it, publish a port, read the logs, and clean up — the core container loop.
Repair a Broken Nginx Container
An nginx container starts but the site is unreachable. Diagnose the misconfiguration and fix it.
Fix a Container Restart Loop
A container keeps exiting and restarting. Read the exit code and logs to find the root cause and stop the loop.
Secure an Unsafe Container
A container ships with every bad habit at once. Detect and remediate root, privileged mode, extra capabilities, a writable FS, an exposed Docker socket, and an embedded secret.
Production Incident Simulation
A multi-container app is partially down. Triage across DB, dependencies, volumes, env, and the reverse proxy; repair it; validate health; and write a short incident summary.
Break it, fix it, prove it
Pick a lab
Choose from 12+ labs across fundamentals, Compose, networking, security, and production ops.
Download the project
Get a real, pre-configured Docker project — often with something intentionally broken.
Diagnose & repair
Work the scenario on your own machine. Use the objectives, hints, and docs; not the answer.
Validate
Run the included validation script. It checks container state, health, ports, and config — and tells you exactly what passed or failed.
Learn the why
Read the full solution and troubleshooting lesson, then the interview questions for that skill.
Meet yourself where you are
New to containers. Learn the core loop: run, publish, inspect, clean up — and fix your first broken container.
Comfortable running containers. Master Compose, networking, storage, image engineering, and security.
Running Docker for real. Handle disk exhaustion, monitoring, secure pipelines, and production incidents.
Free to start. Upgrade when you’re ready.
Free
$0Start learning Docker hands-on, no card required.
- Selected beginner lessons
- Selected free labs (run on your own machine)
- Progress tracking
- Community updates
- Limited downloadable resources
Individual Pro
$20/moThe full lab library, solutions, and certificates.
- Full lab library
- All learning paths
- Lab solution guides
- Validation scripts
- Completion certificates
Team
$999/yrOnboard and upskill your whole team.
- Everything in Individual Pro
- Multiple seats
- Team progress dashboard
- Assignment management
- Completion reporting
Real feedback, coming soon
Frequently asked questions
Is this a video course?
No. Docker Skills Academy is hands-on labs: you download a real, pre-configured Docker project, break/diagnose/repair it on your own machine, and validate your work with an included script. Lessons support the labs; the labs are the point.
Do I need my own Docker environment?
Yes — for the first release you complete labs on your own Docker-capable machine (Linux, macOS, or Windows with Docker Desktop). Each lab includes setup, reset, and validation instructions. A hosted lab environment is on the roadmap.
What do I get for free?
Selected beginner lessons and three full free labs (run your first container, repair a broken nginx container, and fix a restart loop), plus progress tracking.
Are the certificates official Docker certificates?
No. Certificates are issued by DevOps AI Toolkit to recognize completion of a learning path. They are not affiliated with or endorsed by Docker, Inc.
Can I expense this or buy for my team?
Yes — the Team plan includes multiple seats, a progress dashboard, assignment management, and completion reporting. See Team Training.
Training a team?
Onboard engineers on Docker with seat-based access, assignments, a team progress dashboard, and completion reporting.