Docker Commands

Docker is a popular platform for creating, deploying, and running applications in containers. It provides an efficient way to package and deploy applications, ensuring that they run consistently regardless of the underlying environment. In this article, we will cover all the essential Docker commands that you need to know to work with Docker effectively.

1. Docker run

The Docker run command is used to create a container from a Docker image and start it. The syntax for the command is:

docker run [OPTIONS] IMAGE [COMMAND] [ARG...]

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the container behavior.

• IMAGE: is the Docker image that you want to use to create the container.

• COMMAND: is the command that you want to run inside the container.

• ARG: are the arguments passed to the command.

Some common options include:

• -d: Run the container in detached mode.

• -p: Bind container ports to the host.

• --name: Set a custom name for the container.

• -e: Set environment variables.

• -v: Bind mount a volume.

Example:

docker run -d --name mycontainer -p 8080:80 nginx

This command creates a container from the Nginx image, runs it in detached mode, and binds port 8080 on the host to port 80 in the container.

Docker build

The Docker build command is used to build a Docker image from a Dockerfile. A Dockerfile is a text file that contains instructions for building the image. The syntax for the command is:

docker build [OPTIONS] PATH

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the build process.

• PATH: is the path to the directory containing the Dockerfile.

Some common options include:

• -t: Set a custom name and optional tag for the image.

• --no-cache: Build the image without using the cache.

Example:

docker build -t myimage:1.0 .

This command builds a Docker image named myimage with version 1.0 from the Dockerfile located in the current directory.

Docker images

The Docker images command is used to list all the Docker images that are available on the system. The syntax for the command is:

docker images [OPTIONS] [REPOSITORY[:TAG]]

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the output.

• REPOSITORY: is the repository name of the image.

• TAG: is the tag of the image.

Some common options include:

• -a: List all images, including intermediate images.

• --filter: Filter images based on various criteria.

Docker ps

The Docker ps command is used to list all the running containers on the system. The syntax for the command is:

docker ps [OPTIONS]

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the output.

Some common options include:

• -a: List all containers, including stopped ones.

• -q: List only container IDs.

• --filter: Filter containers based on various criteria.

• Docker rm

The Docker rm command is used to remove one or more stopped containers. The syntax for the command is:

docker rm [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...]

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the removal process.

• CONTAINER: is the name or ID of the container to remove.

Some common options include:

• -f: Force the removal of a running container.

• -v: Remove the associated volumes.

docker exec

The Docker exec command is used to run a command inside a running container. The syntax for the command is:

docker exec [OPTIONS] CONTAINER COMMAND [ARG...]

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the execution process.

• CONTAINER: is the name or ID of the container to execute the command in.

• COMMAND: is the command to run inside the container.

• ARG: are the arguments passed to the command.

Some common options include:

• -i: Keep STDIN open even if not attached.

• -t: Allocate a pseudo-TTY.

• -u: Set the user to run the command as.

• -e: Set environment variables.

Example:

bashCopy codedocker exec -it mycontainer bash

This command runs the Bash shell inside the container named mycontainer.

Docker logs

The Docker logs command is used to display the logs of a container. The syntax for the command is:

codedocker logs [OPTIONS] CONTAINER

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the log output.

• CONTAINER: is the name or ID of the container to display the logs of.

Some common options include:

• -f: Follow the log output in real-time.

• --tail: Show the last N lines of logs.

• --since: Show logs since a specific timestamp.

Example:

codedocker logs mycontainer

This command displays the logs of the container named mycontainer.

Docker network

The Docker network command is used to manage Docker networks. Networks are used to isolate containers from each other and provide communication between them. The syntax for the command is:

codedocker network [OPTIONS] COMMAND

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the network management.

• COMMAND: is the sub-command to run.

Some common sub-commands include:

• create: Create a new network.

• ls: List all available networks.

• inspect: Display detailed information about a network.

Example:

codedocker network create mynetwork

This command creates a new Docker network named mynetwork.

Docker Compose Commands

docker-compose up

The docker-compose up command is used to start the services defined in your docker-compose.yml file. The syntax for the command is:

 codedocker-compose up [OPTIONS] [SERVICE...]

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the behavior of the docker-compose up command.

• SERVICE: is the name of the service(s) defined in your docker-compose.yml file that you want to start.

Some common options include:

• -d: Run the services in detached mode (in the background).

• --build: Build the images before starting the containers.

• --no-recreate: Don't recreate containers that already exist.

Example:

 codedocker-compose up

This command starts all the services defined in your docker-compose.yml file.

docker-compose down

The docker-compose down command is used to stop and remove the containers created by docker-compose up. The syntax for the command is:

 codedocker-compose down [OPTIONS]

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the behavior of the docker-compose down command.

Some common options include:

• -v: Remove the containers and their volumes.

• --rmi: Remove the images used by the containers.

Example:

 codedocker-compose down

This command stops and removes the containers created by docker-compose up.

docker-compose ps

The docker-compose ps command is used to list the services and containers defined in your docker-compose.yml file. The syntax for the command is:

 codedocker-compose ps [OPTIONS] [SERVICE...]

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the output of the docker-compose ps command.

• SERVICE: is the name of the service(s) defined in your docker-compose.yml file that you want to list.

Some common options include:

• -q: Only display container IDs.

• --services: Only display service names.

Example:

 codedocker-compose ps

This command lists all the services and containers defined in your docker-compose.yml file.

docker-compose logs

The docker-compose logs command is used to display the logs of the services defined in your docker-compose.yml file. The syntax for the command is:

 codedocker-compose logs [OPTIONS] [SERVICE...]

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the output of the docker-compose logs command.

• SERVICE: is the name of the service(s) defined in your docker-compose.yml file that you want to display the logs for.

Some common options include:

• -f: Follow the logs in real-time.

• --tail: Only display the last N lines of logs.

Example:

codedocker-compose logs myservice

This command displays the logs of the service named myservice.

docker-compose build

The docker-compose build command is used to build the Docker images for the services defined in your docker-compose.yml file. The syntax for the command is:

codedocker-compose build [OPTIONS] [SERVICE...]

Where:

• OPTIONS: are optional flags that you can use to customize the behavior of the docker-compose build command.

• SERVICE: is the name of the service(s) defined in your docker-compose.yml file that you want to build the images for.

Some common options include:

• --no-cache: Do not use cache when building the image.

• --pull: Always attempt to pull a newer version of the image.

Example:

codedocker-compose build myservice