Docker for Solo Developers: The Only Guide You Need in 2026

I used to deploy my apps with scp and manual config files. Then I discovered Docker and realized I'd been wasting hours every week. Here's the practical Docker guide I wish I had when starting out. Why Docker Changes Everything Before Docker, deploying meant: "Works on my machine" disasters Manual dependency installation on every server Environment differences between dev, staging, and production Hours debugging "but it worked locally!" With Docker, you ship a container — a box with your app AND everything it needs. Same box everywhere. Docker in 5 Minutes Installation # macOS / Windows: Install Docker Desktop # Linux: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh Your First Dockerfile # Start from an official base image FROM node:20-alpine # Set working directory WORKDIR /app # Copy dependency files first (for caching) COPY package*.json ./ # Install dependencies RUN npm ci --only = production # Copy source code COPY . . # Expose port EXPOSE 3000 # Start the app CMD ["node", "server.js"] Bui