Interview Questions/Phone Screen/Docker Image vs Container
BeginnerPhone
1 min

Docker Image vs Container

DockerContainers
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Interview Question

What is the difference between a Docker image and a Docker container?

Key Points to Cover
  • Image: immutable template or snapshot
  • Container: running instance of an image
  • Images can have layers; containers have writable layer
Evaluation Rubric
Defines image correctly34% weight
Defines container correctly33% weight
Mentions layered/writable aspects33% weight
Hints
  • 💡Image = blueprint; container = house built from it.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
  • ⚠️Confusing an image as a running process or a virtual machine.
  • ⚠️Failing to mention the 'immutable' and 'read-only' nature of images.
  • ⚠️Not explaining the concept of layers (read-only for images, writable for containers).
  • ⚠️Omitting that a container is an 'instance' or 'runtime' of an image.
  • ⚠️Providing overly technical or jargon-filled explanations without clarifying the core concepts for a beginner-level question.
Potential Follow-up Questions
  • Where are images stored locally?
  • How do you list running containers?
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