Full Images
These are images based on the most latest release of an operating system. For example, if you talking about the `python:latest` then this would be the most recent stable Debian OS release. These images are usually the one's we use at the start of a project.
The catch with these images is that they are usually pretty big. The latest python image clocks at around 4GB. If image size is not a concern then using these full images in production poses little risk.
Slim
Denoted by `-slim` in the tags are paired down images of the full image. These contain the barest minimum of packages to run your particular tool - ie. Python, nodejs, etc.
The catch with these is that a lot of stuff, you might use will be not available and you need to test when using these type of images. You'll often stumble into errors like missing dependencies or libraries when using these.
Alpine
Unlike the full images that are based on Debian, alpine tag images are based on the Alpine Linux Project, which is an operating system made for containers. Using these images usually results in the smallest possible image.
The catch is that Alpine uses different stuff compared to Debian. For example, musl instead of glibc because of the size. That might break your app if it has certain requirements.
Other tags like stretch/buster/jessie/bullseye
These images denote that they are using a certain version of Debian. For example, if the image is tagged buster then that image is using Debian 10.4, if jessie then that's Debian 8.
What to use then?
1. If for local development, use the full image.
2. It also ok to use the full image for production if size is not an issue. Just don't use the latest tag because this always pulls the latest image and it might break your app's dependencies.
3. Use slim instead of alpine. Alpine is cool and all but it's a pain to debug.
