A hands-on course covering Docker and Kubernetes fundamentals, from "what is a container" to GitOps deployments.
Format: 8 weeks × 3 hours each
Prerequisites: Basic Linux command line, some Python experience
Environment: GitHub Codespaces (recommended) or Rocky Linux 8 VM
| Phase | Weeks | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Containerization | 1-3 | Build, run, and optimize Docker containers |
| Orchestration | 4-6 | Deploy to Kubernetes, networking, security |
| Operations | 7-8 | Helm, Kustomize, GitOps with ArgoCD |
By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
- Build production-quality container images
- Deploy applications to Kubernetes
- Implement networking and security policies
- Use Helm and Kustomize for configuration management
- Set up GitOps pipelines with ArgoCD
- Fork this repository
- Click Code → Codespaces → Create codespace on main
- Wait for setup to complete (~2-3 minutes)
- Verify:
docker run hello-world
See Week 1 Installation Guide for Docker CE setup on Rocky Linux 8.
📁 week-01/
- What containers are and why they exist
- Running and exploring containers
- Building your first Dockerfile
- Pushing to Docker Hub and GHCR
📁 week-02/
- Layer caching and optimization
- Multi-stage builds
- Security scanning
- Image size reduction
📁 week-03/
- Multi-container applications
- Service discovery
- Volumes and persistence
- Development workflows
📁 week-04/
- Control plane components
- Pods, Deployments, Services
- kubectl fundamentals
- Rolling updates
📁 week-05/
- ConfigMaps and Secrets
- PersistentVolumeClaims
- StatefulSets
- 12-factor app principles
📁 week-06/
- Service discovery and DNS
- Ingress controllers
- NetworkPolicies
- Pod security
📁 week-07/ (draft)
- Production Kustomize patterns: bases, overlays, and components
- Patching, image tag/digest pinning, and eliminating dev/prod drift
- Build a Redis-backed metrics exporter and scrape it with Prometheus
📁 week-08/ (coming soon)
- GitOps principles
- ArgoCD deployment
- Capstone project
Each week includes:
- Labs - Guided exercises in the course content
- Gym Exercises - Practice scenarios in
container-gym/
The gym uses "Jerry scenarios" - you fix broken infrastructure created by a well-meaning but chaotic teammate. This builds debugging skills through discovery.
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Gym Completions | 30% |
| Lab Participation | 20% |
| Discovery Questions | 10% |
| Capstone Project | 40% |
Found an issue? Have a suggestion? Open an issue or PR on the course repository.