Back in Chapter 1, The Build System, we saw how Docker CE (community edition) could be used to run an embedded Yocto development environment, and also how to run a Toaster Docker instance. Its use can be extended to test environment replication and chroots environments.

However, this type of lightweight container isolation is not only useful in the host but can also be leveraged on an embedded target. The performance of a container is virtually equivalent to a native application, and they are also light and quick to start and stop.

Docker is Apache 2.0-licensed and provides self-contained applications that can be moved between different machines, so, although it is not yet common, I expect to see Docker used more extensively in embedded systems as it facilitates the deployment and update of embedded applications by separating the core system software from the application layer that runs under Docker. Imagine being able to deploy and manage your software...