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Operating Systems Still Matter In a Containerized World
New submitter Jason Baker writes: With the rise of Docker containers as an alternative for deploying complex server-based applications, one might wonder, does the operating system even matter anymore? Certainly the question gets asked periodically. Gordon Haff makes the argument on Opensource.com that the operating system is still very much alive and kicking, and that a hardened, tuned, reliable operating system is just as important to the success of applications as it was in the pre-container data center.
Stripped to the bone, an operating system is a set of APIs that abstract the real or virtual hardware to make applications buildable by mere mortals. Some work better than others under various circumstances, so the OS matters no matter where it's running.