The ability to create container images with the .NET SDK debuts in a preview phase for Linux-x64 image deployments, with Windows support to follow. Credit: AvigatorPhotographer / Getty In a bid to boost cloud-native development in .NET, Microsoft has announced built-in container support for the .NET SDK. Container images now are a supported output type of the Microsoft .NET SDK, the company said in a bulletin on August 25. Developers can create containerized versions of applications by using dotnet publish. The SDK’s container images technology debuts in a preview phase for Linux-x64 image deployments. Plans call for adding support for Windows images and other architectures. Also, support has not yet been implemented for authentication, Microsoft said, with this being a high-priority item. In the meantime, developers can push to their local Docker daemon and then use docker tag and docker push to push the generated image to the planned destination. Containers, Microsoft said, have become one of the easiest ways to distribute and run a variety of applications and services in the cloud. The .NET Runtime already has been hardened for containers. Release candidates of the .NET 7 software development platform will add new image metadata, support for pushing images to remote registries, and support for Windows images. .NET 7 is due as a production release in November. Microsoft .NETSoftware Development