Docker for a solo project - is it worth playing and why is it better than OpenServer?

Question

open server

I'm starting a new project on Laravel.
Everyone writes about Docker - I understand the importance of the right working environment, reducing deployment problems, etc.

Yesterday I installed Docker Desktop, deployed laradock - about 7-8 GB decreased on the disk, the computer did something there for a long time ... In

total, if I correctly understood Docker on Windows 10, is it still the same virtual machine or not? And still voracious in terms of resources to the computer and with all the relevant features: it will not be enough just to install and configure everything - will it be necessary to poke around for a long time and then fight with all sorts of subtleties?

Until now, I have been sitting on OpenServer for a long time - yes, not an ideal thing, but I installed it, chose the PHP / MySQL version and drove on.Over the past 5 years, I do not remember significant problems with deployments - minor flaws were corrected quickly.

Therefore questions:

1. if I have one big project and I am the only one working with it and it will work only in two locations: dev server and production - why do I need Docker?
   
2. If you still use Docker (and you seem to want something in a new way) - how can you build a minimal working environment - so that it does not take up much disk space, does not load the computer heavily and would work no slower than OpenServer - is this possible?
   

Answer 1

If the whole development is “PHP / MySQL and let's go”, and “minor flaws were corrected quickly”, then docker is not needed.
But there will come a time when the next project goes beyond this, when you need, for example, to use * nix features or install a module that is only available under * nix, and compile under Windows yourself (and, of course, you can compile).
And what to do? Abandon a project? Crutches? They correctly noted in the comments: docker is the same runtime in any environment. Yes, sometimes it's over the top, yes, sometimes you need to get confused (but only sometimes). Everything has its price.

Answer 2

Throw out the larade right away. It's not very flexible, IMHO. Google docker-compose and build your config - it will make your life a lot easier.
Personally, I work with larka under docker onli. It doesn't matter what system, even Linux. This is a very handy tool, at least for development. Especially when there are a lot of projects and on different versions of PHP and not only (although this is not for you yet), it helps a lot not to clog the system.
On prod, I personally use only native, without docker. And during development, locally - docker. Most of my employees are the same way. Among acquaintances in other companies, the same is true, although some of them also have a docker or a cuber.