Docker Hub is a free service that Docker offers to the
community to house and share prebuilt container
images. It is the world’s largest repository for containers,
with more than 100,000 prebuilt container applications.
Chances are that if you are looking to build a container,
someone has already put together one that would work
for you. Many software vendors also publish official
images that have been validated by the vendor and
Docker; when you use such an image, you can be
confident that the container you are using has been
tested and is malware free. While anyone can sign up for
a free account, Docker makes money by offering, for a
fee, private container repositories suitable for individuals
and businesses. Docker Hub is a cloud-only service, so if
you want to run a private container registry in your data
center, you have to deploy Docker Enterprise software or
another container registry system on premises.
Docker Hub has a slick web interface that makes it easy
to set up a repository and secure it. It also integrates with
GitHub and Bitbucket to enable automated container
creation from source code stored in your version control
system. It’s a great way to start building a CI/CD pipeline
as it is free to get started. If you set up a free account, you
can take advantage of Docker Hub’s capabilities
immediately. Figure 13-28 shows Docker Hub signup
page.