In Docker image names what is the difference between Alpine, Jessie, Stretch, and Buster?

In docker-Context here are the important informations you need.

  1. Alpine
    Url: https://alpinelinux.org/
    Shorty: Its very small.
    Packagemanger: apk
    Shells: /bin/sh
    Size: Few MBs - current tag needs 2.7MB

  2. Jessie aka Debian 8
    Url: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianJessie
    Shorty: All what you need, but LTS is running out. Click me for details
    Packagemanager: apt
    Shells: /bin/bash and many more
    Size: Round about 50MB

  3. Stretch aka Debian 9
    Url: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianStretch
    Shorty: All what you need
    Packagemanager: apt
    Shells: /bin/bash, many more
    Size: Round about 40MB

  4. Buster aka Debian 10
    Url: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianBuster
    Shorty: All what you need, but newer
    Packagemanager: apt
    Shells: /bin/bash and many more
    Size: Round about 50MB

  5. Ubuntu based on debain
    Url: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianBuster
    Shorty: All what you need - and some more
    Packagemanager: apt
    Shells: /bin/bash and more
    Size: Round about 25MB


Those are the names of the OS in the container in which Node will be running.

Alpine is for Alpine Linux, Jessie and Stretch are versions of Debian. If you scroll down on the documentation link you provided, you'll find a section describing what Alpine is and why you might want to use it.