Operations → Build & Packaging
Container Image
An immutable package containing filesystem layers, metadata, and runtime configuration for containers.
Motivation
A container image solves the problem of packaging an application and its runtime filesystem into a portable artifact.
Where it fits
It belongs to runtime infrastructure and deployment.
Mental model
An image is a snapshot recipe; a container is a running instance of that image.
Important details
Images are built in layers, stored in registries, scanned for vulnerabilities, and pulled by runtimes.
Common mistakes
- Confusing images with running containers.
- Putting secrets inside images.