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Docker Commands

Comprehensive Docker commands and workflows for containerization across all platforms.

Basic Commands

Command Description
docker --version Show Docker version
docker info Display system-wide information
docker help Show help for Docker commands
docker images List all images
docker ps List running containers
docker ps -a List all containers (running and stopped)
docker pull <image> Pull an image from registry
docker run <image> Run a container from image
docker stop <container> Stop a running container
docker start <container> Start a stopped container
docker restart <container> Restart a container
docker rm <container> Remove a container
docker rmi <image> Remove an image

Container Management

Command Description
docker run -d <image> Run container in detached mode
docker run -it <image> Run container interactively
docker run -p 8080:80 <image> Map port 8080 to container port 80
docker run -v /host:/container <image> Mount volume
docker run --name <name> <image> Run container with custom name
docker exec -it <container> bash Execute bash in running container
docker logs <container> View container logs
docker logs -f <container> Follow container logs
docker inspect <container> Inspect container details
docker stats Show container resource usage
docker top <container> Show running processes in container

Image Management

Command Description
docker build -t <name> . Build image from Dockerfile
docker build -t <name>:<tag> . Build image with tag
docker tag <image> <new-name> Tag an image
docker push <image> Push image to registry
docker save <image> > file.tar Save image to tar file
docker load < file.tar Load image from tar file
docker history <image> Show image history
docker search <term> Search for images in registry

Docker Compose

Command Description
docker-compose up Start services defined in compose file
docker-compose up -d Start services in detached mode
docker-compose down Stop and remove containers
docker-compose build Build or rebuild services
docker-compose logs View logs for all services
docker-compose ps List containers
docker-compose exec <service> bash Execute command in service
docker-compose pull Pull latest images
docker-compose restart Restart services

Network Management

Command Description
docker network ls List networks
docker network create <name> Create a network
docker network rm <name> Remove a network
docker network inspect <name> Inspect network details
docker run --network <name> <image> Run container on specific network

Volume Management

Command Description
docker volume ls List volumes
docker volume create <name> Create a volume
docker volume rm <name> Remove a volume
docker volume inspect <name> Inspect volume details
docker volume prune Remove unused volumes

Common Workflows

Development Workflow

# Build and run application
docker build -t myapp .
docker run -p 3000:3000 myapp

# Development with volume mounting
docker run -p 3000:3000 -v $(pwd):/app myapp

# Using Docker Compose for development
docker-compose up --build

Production Deployment

# Build production image
docker build -t myapp:prod .

# Tag for registry
docker tag myapp:prod registry.com/myapp:latest

# Push to registry
docker push registry.com/myapp:latest

# Deploy on production server
docker pull registry.com/myapp:latest
docker run -d -p 80:3000 --name myapp-prod registry.com/myapp:latest

Container Debugging

# Check container logs
docker logs -f container-name

# Execute shell in running container
docker exec -it container-name bash

# Inspect container configuration
docker inspect container-name

# Check resource usage
docker stats container-name

Best Practices

Dockerfile Optimization

  • Use multi-stage builds to reduce image size
  • Leverage build cache by ordering instructions properly
  • Use specific base image tags, avoid latest
  • Minimize the number of layers
  • Use .dockerignore to exclude unnecessary files

Security

  • Run containers as non-root user
  • Use official base images when possible
  • Regularly update base images
  • Scan images for vulnerabilities
  • Limit container resources (CPU, memory)

Performance

  • Use appropriate base images (alpine for smaller size)
  • Optimize layer caching
  • Use health checks for containers
  • Monitor container resource usage
  • Use volumes for persistent data

Production Deployment

  • Use orchestration tools (Docker Swarm, Kubernetes)
  • Implement proper logging and monitoring
  • Use secrets management for sensitive data
  • Set up automated backups
  • Implement rolling updates