# Why Docker?

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-docker/298865>\
**Category:** Self-hosting\
**Created:** [March 11, 2024, 11:42am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-docker/298865 "2024-03-11T11:42:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/why-docker/298865/2 "2024-03-11T14:12:20Z")

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> [@NullUsername](#):
>
> Why did the devs choose docker ?

Because when they started developing Discourse, it was the best thing around.

If tney were to do it today, I’d guess that the only thing they’d do differently might be to use docker-compose rather than their own custom `launcher` commmand that builds and launches docker images.

> [@NullUsername](#):
>
> For SysAdmins this docker nonsense is redundant and pointless if you have a network setup with firewalls. etc

You must be on a different internet than I am. From everything I see, most everyone who manages software on more than, say, 5 servers, is using some kind of container to manage things. Increasingly developers run stuff on their laptops in containers to see that versions of everything is kept consistent.

Even managing a Discourse/rails/ember development environment on a single laptop is something of a challenge.

> [@NullUsername](#):
>
> There’s no guide to install it dockerless, regardless if it comes with support or not. Theres no guide or assistance for exposing the host IP to the container.

That’s true. If you want a forum that you can use without Docker, you should not use Discourse.

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