Docker Commands Cheat Sheet

Basics

Creating and Running a Container from an Image

To run a container using an image:

docker run <image-name>

This command is a one-step process to create and start a container from an image.

Listing All Running Containers

To see all currently running containers:

docker ps

Creating a Container without Starting It

To create a container without starting it:

docker create <image-name>

Once created, you can start it with:

docker start <container-id>

Fetching Logs from a Container

To get logs from a running or stopped container:

docker logs <container-id>

This command is invaluable for debugging and monitoring container activity.

Stopping Containers

To stop a running container gracefully:

docker stop <container-id>

This will send a SIGTERM signal, allowing the container to shut down gracefully.

Forcibly Terminating Containers

To kill a container, effectively sending a SIGKILL:

docker kill <container-id>

Use this for unresponsive containers that need to be shut down immediately.

Copying Files to/from a Container

To copy files from your local filesystem to a container:

docker cp <path-to-local-file> <container-id>:<path-to-container-destination>

And to copy files from a container to your local filesystem:

docker cp <container-id>:<path-to-container-file> <path-to-local-destination>

This command is crucial for managing files within a container, especially for configurations and data persistence.

Advanced

Cleaning Up

To delete stopped containers:

docker system prune

This command will clean up unused containers, networks, images (both dangling and unreferenced), and optionally, volumes.