Docker has always used microVMs (well, since 2016)

Docker has always used microVMs (well since 2016)

The author, who joined Docker in 2015, reveals that Docker Desktop has relied on microVMs since 2016. Built with Mirage Unikernel libraries, the first version, hyperkit, and its successor, Docker VMM, run a minimal LinuxKit kernel inside an embedded VMM. This design enables rootless operation, a minimal device interface, and easy VPN integration. Today, the same microVM technology powers Docker Desktop and Docker Sandboxes, which securely runs coding agents like Claude Code.