[mgurlitz]

This is solved by the union-based filesystem (AUFS) that Docker uses. You start with one minimal rootfs like you describe, given in the "base" image, then when you install sshd you get copy-on-write semantics. So the sshd container gets its own syslog files separate from any other container.

Your original comment talks about how long LXC has existed but AUFS is one key component of Docker that became part of mainline Linux much more recently.

[ash]

> AUFS ... became part of mainline Linux much more recently

AUFS is not part of mainline kernel. Many distros include it (Debian, Ubuntu). But some don't (Fedora).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aufs