Running SQL Server Developer in a Linux-based Docker Container

Bob Walker's article provides a detailed guide on setting up SQL Server in a Linux-based Docker container using Docker Desktop, highlighting the benefits of Linux containers such as reduced overhead and increased availability of features and images compared to Windows-based containers. The process involves switching Docker Desktop to Linux containers, configuring shared drives for data persistence, and utilizing Docker commands to download, run, and manage the SQL Server instance. Walker emphasizes the use of Docker volumes to persist databases across container restarts or recreations, ensuring data is not lost when containers are stopped or removed. He also discusses using Docker Compose to simplify the deployment and management of the container, providing a YAML configuration example for easy setup. Despite anticipating a steep learning curve, Walker found the transition to Linux containers straightforward, appreciating the flexibility to choose between running SQL Server as a Windows service, in a Windows container, or in a Linux container.