OCI (aka Docker) containers are having a deep impact on the Linux operating system (OS) that goes well beyond DevOps and "cloud native" applications. The concepts of application-centric packaging, process isolation through Linux containers, and immutable infrastructure are shaking up the core traditions of today's GNU/Linux operating systems. These concepts are also challenging the assumptions and approaches derived from the past forty-plus years of work that originated with UNIX. The Linux distribution as we know it is coming to an end, and is being replaced by a new concept of containerized, multi-instance, multi-user applications, which can be deployed in scale-out environments. This presentation provides an assessment and outlook on this new OS environment and takes a deep look at the consequences that this new OS model has for both developers and operators.
