Docker Command Cheat Sheet: Managing Containers, Images, and Operations

1. Docker Container Information

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

2. Image Operations

2.1 View Images

## List local images
docker images
## Include intermediate layers
docker images -a
## Show only image IDs
docker images -q
## Include intermediate layers (short IDs)
docker images -qa
## Show digests column
docker images --digests
## Show full image information
docker images --no-trunc

2.2 Search Images

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

2.3 Pull Images

## Pull latest 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 Delete Images

## Delete a single image
docker rmi redis
## Force delete (even if containers use it)
docker rmi -f redis
## Delete multiple images
docker rmi -f redis tomcat nginx
## Delete all local images
docker rmi -f $(docker images -q)

2.5 Build Images

## Write a Dockerfile (example path)
cd /docker/dockerfile
vim mycentos
## Build image from Dockerfile
docker build -f /docker/dockerfile/mycentos -t mycentos:1.1

3. Container Operations

3.1 Start Containers

## Run container interactively with a name
docker run -i -t --name mycentos
## Run container in detached mode
docker run -d mycentos

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

## Start stopped containers
docker start redis
## Restart a container
docker restart redis

3.2 Container Processes

## List processes inside a container (similar to ps)
# docker top [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [ps OPTIONS]

docker top redis
## List processes of all running containers
for i in `docker ps | grep Up | awk '{print $1}'`; do echo && docker top $i; done

3.3 Container Logs

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

3.4 Attach and Exec

## Run container and immediately get a shell
docker run -it centos /bin/bash
## Exit container without stopping it (Ctrl+P+Q)
# (shortcut)
## Attach to a running container (shares the same TTY)
# Ensure CTRL-D or CTRL-C do not stop the container
docker attach --sig-proxy=false centos
## Execute a command in a running container (interactive)
docker exec -i -t centos /bin/bash
## Execute a command and return output to current terminal
docker exec -i -t centos ls -l /tmp
## Execute a command in detached mode (no output)
docker exec -d centos touch cache.txt

3.5 View Containers

## List running containers
docker ps
## List only container IDs of running containers
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 last 3 created containers
docker ps -n 3
## Do not truncate output
docker ps --no-trunc

3.6 Stop and Delete 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
docker ps -a -q | xargs docker rm
## Remove container network link named db
docker rm -l db
## Remove container and its mounted volumes
docker rm -v redis

3.7 Commit Container to Image

## Commit a container as a new image with author and message
docker commit -a "DeepInThought" -m "my redis" [container_id] myredis:v1.1

3.8 Copy Files Between Host and Container

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