platform docker

This is a summary of Docker commands I frequently use.
Only the commands and options I personally use are listed here.

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Environment

  • Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS (Running on WSL)
  • Docker Engine 26.0.0

List of Docker Commands

docker ps

The docker ps command lists the Docker containers you have created.

Usage:

docker ps [OPTIONS]

Example:

docker ps -a

Options:

Option Description
a Shows all Docker containers. Without this option, only running containers are displayed.

docker rm

The docker rm command deletes the specified Docker containers.

Usage:

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

Example:

docker rm <containerID1> <containerID2>

Arguments:

Argument Description
CONTAINER Specify the container ID. Multiple IDs can be specified. You can check container IDs with docker ps.

Options:

Option Description
f Forcefully deletes Docker containers. This can also remove running containers.

docker images

The docker images command lists Docker images that have been built or downloaded.

Usage:

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

Example:

docker images

docker rmi

The docker rmi command removes the specified Docker images.

Usage:

docker rmi [OPTIONS] IMAGE [IMAGE...]

Example 1:

docker rmi <imageID1> <imageID2>

Example 2:

docker rmi php:8.2

Arguments:

Argument Description
IMAGE Specify the image ID. Multiple IDs can be specified. You can check image IDs with docker images. If there are multiple tags for the same image ID, you can delete a specific tag by using <repository>:<tag> instead. Example 2 shows this with php:8.2.

docker build

The docker build command builds a Docker image from a Dockerfile.

Usage:

docker build [OPTIONS] PATH | URL

Example:

docker build -t test:1.0 .

Arguments:

Argument Description
PATH Specify the path to the Dockerfile. In the example, . is used.
URL Specify the URL of a remote Dockerfile.

Options:

Option Description
t Assigns a tag to the Docker image. The format is name:tag. In the example, test:1.0 is used.

docker run

The docker run command launches a Docker container from a Docker image.

Usage:

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

Example:

docker run -it --rm --name php-cli -w /app -v `pwd`:/app php:8.2-cli bash

Arguments:

Argument Description
IMAGE Specify the Docker image. In the example, php:8.2-cli is used.
COMMAND The command to run after the container starts. In the example, bash is used to connect to the container.

Options:

Option Description
i Keeps STDIN open, allowing input to the Docker container.
t Allocates a pseudo-TTY. TTY is a device that enables input/output within the container. Keeping TTY active prevents the container from stopping while connected.
rm Automatically removes the container when it exits.
name Assigns a name to the container. In the example, php-cli is specified.
w Sets the working directory inside the container. In the example, /app is used.
v Mounts a host directory to the container. The example mounts the current host directory to /app inside the container using the pwd command.
p Forward a host’s port to the Docker container’s port. For example, -p 8080:80 (8080 is the host’s port, 80 is the container’s port)

docker stop

The docker stop command stops running Docker containers.

Usage:

docker stop [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...]

Example:

docker stop <containerID>

Arguments:

Argument Description
CONTAINER Specify the container ID. Multiple IDs can be specified. You can check container IDs with docker ps.

docker compose up

The docker compose up command starts multiple containers as defined in the docker-compose.yml file.

Usage:

docker compose up [OPTIONS] [SERVICE...]

Example 1:

docker compose up -d

Example 2:

docker compose up --build

Options:

Option Description
d Starts the containers in the background.
build Builds the Docker images before starting the containers.

docker compose exec

The docker compose exec command runs a command inside a running container defined in docker-compose.yml. A pseudo-TTY is allocated by default.

Usage:

docker compose exec [OPTIONS] SERVICE COMMAND [ARGS...]

Example:

docker compose exec <service-name> bash

Arguments:

Argument Description
COMMAND The command to run inside the container. In the example, bash is used to connect to the container.

docker compose down

The docker compose down command stops and removes all containers defined in the docker-compose.yml file.

Usage:

docker compose down [OPTIONS] [SERVICES]

Example 1:

docker compose down

Example 2:

docker compose down -v

Options:

Option Description
v Removes the Docker volumes defined in docker-compose.yml.