Docker container – handy commands

Some handy command to work with containers. We’ll assume a docker image ubuntu is available on current machine.

1. Run interactive shell (or any other command) on ubuntu image and create a container (named ubuntu1).

   ## docker run -it --name [container_name] [image_id] /bin/bash
   $ docker run -it --name ubuntu1 ubuntu /bin/bash
   root@bdda3386fd58:/# pwd
   /
   

   To detach tty without existing shell, use Ctrl-p + Ctrl-q. Otherwise use Ctrl-d.

   To attach it again use

   docker attach [container_id_or_name]
   

2. List containers

   $ docker ps  #running containers
   CONTAINER ID        IMAGE               COMMAND             CREATED              STATUS              PORTS               NAMES
   bdda3386fd58        ubuntu              "/bin/bash"         About a minute ago   Up About a minute                       ubuntu1
   $ docker ps -a  #all containers
   

3. Start/stop/restart/remove/kill containers

   $ docker stop [container_id_or_name]  # stop container
   $ docker rm [container_id_or_name]  # remove container
   $ docker start [container_id_or_name] #start container
   $ docker restart [container_id_or_name] #restart container
   $ docker kill [container_id_or_name] #kill signal to container
   

4. Run a command inside a running container

   ## docker exec [container_id_or_name] command
   $ docker exec bdda3386fd58 "ls"
   

5. Get an interactive bash shell in a running container

   $ docker exec -it [container_id_or_name] /bin/bash
   

6. Run multiple commands inside a running container

   ## docker exec [container_id_or_name] /bin/bash -c "command1;command2"
   $ docker exec bdda3386fd58 /bin/bash -c "cd /root; ls -a"
   .
   ..
   .bash_history
   .bashrc
   .profile