Here is a step-by-step guide for practicing Apache Spark using the official Apache Spark Docker image on Docker Desktop. This approach is cross-platform (works for Windows, Mac, and Linux), completely containerized, and does not require Spark installed on your local system
1. Prerequisites
Install Docker Desktop: Download and install Docker Desktop from the official Docker website. Ensure it is running on your machine.
(Optional) Docker Compose: Modern Docker Desktop includes Docker Compose by default.
2. Pull the Official Apache Spark Image
Open a terminal or command prompt and run:
docker pull apache/spark:latest
3. Running Spark (Standalone)
Quick Single-Container (Local Mode)
You can launch a basic, single-node Spark container for simple experiments (e.g., PySpark interactive shell):
docker run -it –rm apache/spark:latest /opt/spark/bin/spark-shell
Or for PySpark:
docker run -it –rm apache/spark:latest /opt/spark/bin/pyspark
