General query - memory and resources

Hi

I’m just starting into the docker world, and have a couple of basic questions - I’m working on a basic windows 10 PC, 4Gb ram, 120Gb HD, latest image, running community edition docker.

I’m primarily interested in docker as it means I can install / use programs ‘cleanly’ i.e. if I uninstall it doesn’t leave files/registry entries around, which clutters up the system - my understanding is that I can’t have GUI interaction, apart from via a web interface, and that’s not an issue.

My question is can people advise how I can minimise the memory footprint (as I’ve only got 4Gb, and its not extendable), so I can keep docker service running - I’m keeping it in a shut-down state when not in use. E.g. is it more memory efficient to use windows rather than linux containers…?

I’ve been looking through various websites / docs and not found anything that gives me a good idea… I know I can set a maximum memory for the VM running the container, but I’m wondering if its possible to use only the memory required for containers rather than a set amount allocated to the VM.

Hope that all makes sense…

Cheers

Carl.