Reference: https://blog.docker.com/2017/04/introducing-linuxkit-container-os-toolkit/
At DockerCon 2016, Docker received multiple common requests from users to provide a native Docker experience on their platforms such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Windows Server, OSX, Windows 10, mainframes, IoT platform – the list was extensive!
One of the problems faced on these platforms was that although users wanted Linuxcontainer support, the platform itself did not have Linux included in it. To address issues on such platforms, the team at Docker decided to bundle Linux with the Docker platform which led to the creation of Linuxkit. Docker struck up a partnership with HPE, Intel, ARM, IBM, Microsoft and the Linux Foundation to develop Linuxkit.
On 18th April, Docker released LinuxKit at DockerCon 2017 to partners and open source enthusiasts so that they can develop new things with Linux and grow the container platform. Linuxkit is a toolkit for developing secure, lean and portable Linux subsystems. It consists of tools to create custom Linux subsystems that include only those components that are required by the runtime platform. Linuxkit was developed from containers and for containers to attain goals of a secure, lean and portable OS. Read more about it here.
[Tweet “.@Docker Launched LinuxKit at #DockerCon 2017 #Linux – IDC”]