Basic Docker Commands | Images | Containers

December 27, 2020

Docker Image

Docker Commands

Demo for these commands is available in the following YouTube video

Check Docker Version

docker version

Check the detailed information of Docker installed

docker info

Docker commands - Images

Search an image in Docker hub

docker search ubuntu

docker search <<imagename>> | head -20
docker search ubuntu | head -20
#  will search ubuntu images in the dockerhub and limit the search result to only 20

Note: head command works on bash terminal, for PowerShell terminal in windows use select -first 10

docker search ubuntu | select -first 10

Pull and Image from Docker hub

docker pull <<imagename>>
docker pull nginx

Check image history (layers in an image)

docker history <<imagename>>
docker history nginx

Pull a specific version of an image

docker pull <<imagename>>:<<versiontag>>
docker pull busybox:1.24

Verify Downloaded docker images

docker images

Remove Docker images

docker rmi <<imagename>>
docker rmi nginx

Download and run an image in docker container using run command

docker run <<imagename>>
docker run --name cntnginx -d nginx
# --name to specify a name for the running container. In this example, it is cntnginx
# -d to run the container in background (detached mode)

Docker Commands - Containers

List running containers

docker ps

List all containers (This includes containers in all state)

docker ps -a

Inspect container object

docker inspect <<containername/containerid>>
docker inspect cntnginx

Print the stats for a running container

docker stats <<containername/containerid>>
docker stats cntnginx

Pause a running container

docker pause <<containername/containerid>>
docker pause cntnginx

Unpause a paused container

docker unpause <<containername/containerid>>
docker unpause cntnginx

Kill a running container

docker kill <<containername/containerid>>
docker kill cntnginx

Start a killed container

docker start <<containername/containerid>>
docker start cntnginx

Stop a running container

docker stop <<containername/containerid>>
docker stop cntnginx

Delete a container

docker rm <<containername/containerid>>
docker rm cntnginx

To remove all stopped containers

docker container prune

Export a container as an image (.tar file)

docker export <<containername/contianerid>> -o <<filename>>.tar
docker run --name newnginxcontainer -d nginx
docker export newnginxcontainer -o test.tar

# Note: You must have permissions on the folder where you are saving the test.tar
# use `chmod 777 ./` for permissions in case if you are facing an permission denied error.

Import an exported container image (.tar file)

docker import <<remoteurl/imagename.tar>>
docker import test.tar