DEV Community

Manikanta Yarramsetti
Manikanta Yarramsetti

Posted on

Essential Docker Commands You Should Know

Docker is a powerful tool for containerizing applications. Here are the most common Docker commands to get you started quickly.


1. Check Docker Version

Check which Docker version is installed:

docker --version
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

2. List Docker Images

See all downloaded Docker images:

docker images
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

3. Pull an Image from Docker Hub

Download an image from Docker Hub:

docker pull <image_name>:<tag>
# Example:
docker pull nginx:latest
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

4. Run a Container

Run a container in detached mode with port mapping:

docker run -d -p <host_port>:<container_port> <image_name>
# Example:
docker run -d -p 8080:80 nginx
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

5. List Running Containers

See containers that are currently running:

docker ps
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

6. List All Containers

See all containers, including stopped ones:

docker ps -a
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

7. Stop a Running Container

Stop a container by ID or name:

docker stop <container_id_or_name>
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

8. Start a Stopped Container

Start a container by ID or name:

docker start <container_id_or_name>
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

9. Remove a Container

Delete a container by ID or name:

docker rm <container_id_or_name>
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

10. Remove an Image

Delete an image by name or ID:

docker rmi <image_name_or_id>
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

11. View Container Logs

Check logs of a running container:

docker logs <container_id_or_name>
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

12. Execute a Command Inside a Running Container

Access the shell of a container:

docker exec -it <container_id_or_name> /bin/bash
# Or use sh for Alpine-based containers
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

13. Build an Image from a Dockerfile

Build a custom Docker image:

docker build -t <image_name>:<tag> .
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

14. Tag an Image

Assign a new tag to an existing image:

docker tag <source_image> <target_image>
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

15. Push an Image to Docker Hub

Upload an image to Docker Hub:

docker push <image_name>:<tag>
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Bonus Tips

  • Use docker-compose for multi-container setups.
  • Clean up unused containers, images, and networks with:
docker system prune
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Master these commands to become productive with Docker quickly! 🚀🐳

Top comments (0)