Oracle makes available Oracle Linux for Docker container hosting

Oracle has published Oracle Linux images onto the Docker repository, making its enterprise-grade Linux distribution available as a platform for hosting apps running in Docker containers.

The IT giant announced this week that it was making available Oracle Linux images to join the MySQL database management tool, which is already available on the Docker Hub Registry, the official repository for Docker-based components.

Wim Coekaerts, Oracle's senior vice president for Linux and virtualisation engineering, said that the move would allow developers to take advantage of the open source nature of Oracle Linux and MySQL to build their products.

"With Oracle Linux and MySQL images available on the Docker Hub Registry, users will be able to quickly create and publish custom Docker containers that layer applications on top of Oracle Linux and MySQL, which is a great time-saver for both independent software vendors and IT departments," he said.

Docker has become one of the most popular implementations of container technology on Linux, building on the Linux containers (LXC) support in the operating system kernel and providing a means to package and distribute containerised applications.

Oracle Linux has a number of modifications that make the platform more suitable for enterprise-grade deployments than rival Linux platforms, according to the firm.

Among these is Oracle's Ksplice technology, which enables customers to apply security patches and updates to the Linux kernel on-the-fly without rebooting, eliminating the need for scheduled downtime periods to maintain servers.

In addition Oracle Linux is based on the firm's Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK), which has full support for Linux containers, inclusion of DTrace for Linux into the kernel, and other enhancements such as improved support for Control Groups.

Oracle said that the Docker images for Oracle Linux are free for customers to use, distribute, and update, the same as Oracle Linux itself. However, this also means that Oracle Linux is being offered "as is", with no technical support, unless users take out a separate support agreement or are already an Oracle customer.

Oracle also announced that it plans to release a new Oracle-maintained MySQL image to Docker Hub later this month, enabling developers to benefit from the latest MySQL innovations.

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