Docker Command Cheat Sheet: Container, Image, and Container Operations

1. Docker Container Information

Use the following commands to query Docker version, detailed daemon information, and help options.

## View Docker version
docker version
## View Docker daemon information
docker info
## Show Docker help
docker --help

2. Image Operations

Docker images can be referenced by name, long ID, or short ID.

2.1 View Images

## List local images
docker images
## Include intermediate layers
docker images -a
## Show only image IDs
docker images -q
## Show image IDs with intermediate layers
docker images -qa
## Show digests column
docker images --digests
## Show full image information without truncation
docker images --no-trunc

2.2 Search Images

## Search Docker Hub for MySQL image
docker search mysql
## Filter by stars >= 600
docker search --filter=stars=600 mysql
## Show full description without truncation
docker search --no-trunc mysql
## Show only automated images
docker search --automated mysql

2.3 Pull Images

## Pull the latest official Redis image
docker pull redis
## Pull all tags of Redis
docker pull -a redis
## Pull a private repository image
docker pull bitnami/redis

2.4 Remove Images

## Remove a single image
docker rmi redis
## Force removal (useful if containers are based on the image)
docker rmi -f redis
## Remove multiple images (space‑separated)
docker rmi -f redis tomcat nginx
## Remove all local images
docker rmi -f $(docker images -q)

2.5 Build Images

## (1) Write a Dockerfile
cd /docker/dockerfile
vim mycentos
## (2) Build the image
docker build -f /docker/dockerfile/mycentos -t mycentos:1.1

3. Container Operations

Container commands can use either CONTAINER ID or container name.

3.1 Start Containers

## Create and start a container with interactive terminal and name
docker run -i -t --name mycentos
## Start container in detached mode
docker run -d mycentos
## Start an existing stopped container
docker start redis
## Restart a container
docker restart redis

Note: Using docker ps -a after a detached start may show the container as exited because Docker requires a foreground process to keep the container alive.

3.2 Container Processes

## List processes inside a container (similar to ps)
# docker top [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [ps OPTIONS]
## Show processes in the redis container
docker top redis
## Show processes for all running containers
for i in `docker ps | grep Up | awk '{print $1}'`; do echo && docker top $i; done

3.3 Container Logs

## View logs (default)
docker logs rabbitmq
## Follow logs, show timestamps, limit to last 20 lines
docker logs -f -t --tail=20 redis
## Show the latest 10 logs since a specific date
docker logs --since "2019-05-21" --tail=10 redis

3.4 Attach / Exec

## Run container and attach immediately
docker run -it centos /bin/bash
## Exit container (stop)
exit
## Detach without stopping (Ctrl+P+Q)
## Attach to a running container (shared screen)
# Ensure Ctrl‑D/Ctrl‑C do not stop the container
docker attach --sig-proxy=false centos
## Open a new interactive exec session
docker exec -i -t centos /bin/bash
## Run a command and return output to current terminal
docker exec -i -t centos ls -l /tmp
## Run a command in detached mode (no output)
docker exec -d centos touch cache.txt

3.5 View Containers

## List running containers
docker ps
## Show only container IDs
docker ps -q
## List all containers (running + stopped)
docker ps -a
## Show total file size of running containers
docker ps -s
## Show most recently created container
docker ps -l
## Show the last 3 created containers
docker ps -n 3
## Do not truncate output
docker ps --no-trunc

3.6 Stop / Remove Containers

## Stop a running container
docker stop redis
## Kill a running container
docker kill redis
## Remove a stopped container
docker rm redis
## Force remove a running container
docker rm -f redis
## Remove multiple containers
docker rm -f $(docker ps -a -q)
# Or using xargs
docker ps -a -q | xargs docker rm
## Remove container network link named db
docker rm -l db
## Remove container and its volumes
docker rm -v redis

3.7 Commit Container to Image

## Create a new image from a running container
# -a author, -c Dockerfile command, -m commit message, -p pause container during commit
docker commit -a="DeepInThought" -m="my redis" [container_id] myredis:v1.1

3.8 Copy Files Between Host and Container

## Copy from container to host
docker cp rabbitmq:/[container_path] [local_path]
## Copy from host to container
docker cp [local_path] rabbitmq:/[container_path]/
## Copy and rename destination directory inside container
docker cp [local_path] rabbitmq:/[container_path]