docker image - merged/diff/work/LowerDir components of GraphDriver
docker, filesystems
Solution
LowerDir: these are the read-only layers of an overlay filesystem. For docker, these are the image layers assembled in order.
UpperDir: this is the read-write layer of an overlay filesystem. For docker, that is equivalent to the container specific layer which contains changes made by that container.
WorkDir: this is a required directory for overlay, it needs an empty directory for internal use.
MergedDir: this is the result of the overlay filesystem. Docker effectively chroot's into this directory when running the container.
For more on overlay filesystems (overlay2 is a newer release, but I don't believe there are any user visible changes), see the kernel docs: https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/filesystems/overlayfs.txt
Problem
Below is the manifest file entry snippet (`docker inspect image redis`) of redis image ``` "GraphDriver": { "Data": { "LowerDir": "/var/lib/docker/overlay2/bd512eb256c8aa56cbe9243d440a311820712d1a245fe6f523d39d19cd6c862d/diff:/var/lib/docker/overlay2/7fa1e90f35c78fc83c3a 4b86e36e45d742383b394adf9ce4cf9b339d919c9cbe/diff:/var/lib/docker/overlay2/2c1869386b5b8542959da4f0173a5272b9703326d619f27258b4edff7a1dbbf9/diff:/var/lib/docker/overlay2 /23ba3955c5b72ec17b9c409bd5233a3d92cbd75543c7d144b364f8188765788e/diff:/var/lib/docker/overlay2/87d8a92919103e8ff723221200acb36e17c611fa499571ab183d0f51458e6f24/diff", "MergedDir": "/var/lib/docker/overlay2/e503ed41978e99fe9b71a4225763a40b7988e9a4f31d4c06ef1ec1af46b0b6ab/merged", "UpperDir": "/var/lib/docker/overlay2/e503ed41978e99fe9b71a4225763a40b7988e9a4f31d4c06ef1ec1af46b0b6ab/diff", "WorkDir": "/var/lib/docker/overlay2/e503ed41978e99fe9b71a4225763a40b7988e9a4f31d4c06ef1ec1af46b0b6ab/work" }, "Name": "overlay2" }, ``` where `overlay2` filesystem is used by docker image and container. Within `GraphDriver` entry of manifest, what does `LowerDir` / `MergedDir` / `UpperDir` / `WorkDir` indicate?