This cheat sheet provides a quick reference for common Docker commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
docker --version |
Display the installed Docker version |
docker info |
Display system-wide information about Docker |
docker help |
Display help for Docker commands |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
docker pull <image> |
Pull an image from Docker Hub |
docker images |
List all available images |
docker rmi <image> |
Remove an image |
docker build -t <image-name>:<tag> <path> |
Build an image from a Dockerfile |
docker tag <source-image> <target-image> |
Tag an image with a new name |
docker search <term> |
Search for images on Docker Hub |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
docker run <image> |
Run a command in a new container |
docker run -d <image> |
Run a container in detached mode |
docker run -d --name <name> -p <Serverport>:<containerport> <image> |
Run a container in detached mode give it specific name and map the port of the container |
docker run -tid --name <name> --memory 60mb -p 5050:80 |
Run a container and specify memory for it |
docker run -tid <image> sh |
Open shell of the container in current terminal |
docker ps or docker container ls |
List running containers |
docker ps -a or docker container ls -a |
List all containers, including stopped ones |
docker stop <container> |
Stop a running container |
docker stop -60 <container> |
Stop a running container in 60 sec |
docker container kill <container> |
Kill a running container |
docker start <container> |
Start a stopped container |
docker restart <container> |
Restart a container |
docker rm <container> |
Remove a stopped container |
docker rm <container> --force |
Remove a stopped container forcably |
docker exec -it <container> <command> |
Execute a command inside a running container |
docker logs <container> |
Fetch the logs of a container |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
docker network ls |
List all existing Docker networks. Displays details such as network name, ID, driver type, and scope. |
docker network create <network-name> |
Create a new user-defined network with the specified name. By default, it uses the bridge driver. |
docker network create --driver <driver-name> <network-name> |
Create a network using a specific driver (e.g., bridge, overlay, host, or none). |
docker network rm <network-name> |
Remove a Docker network. The network must not be in use by any containers. |
docker network inspect <network-name> |
Display detailed information about a network, including connected containers, IP ranges, and driver type. |
docker run --network <network-name> <image> |
Start a container and connect it to a specific network at runtime. |
docker network connect <network-name> <container-id> |
Connect an existing container to a specified network. |
docker network disconnect <network-name> <container-id> |
Disconnect a container from a specific network. |
docker network prune |
Remove all unused Docker networks. Be cautious as it deletes networks not being used by containers. |
docker-compose up |
Automatically creates and manages a network for the services defined in the docker-compose.yml file. |
docker network create --subnet=<CIDR> <network-name> |
Create a network with a custom subnet (CIDR notation). |
docker network create --gateway=<IP> <network-name> |
Create a network with a custom gateway IP address. |
docker network create -o com.docker.network.bridge.name=<bridge-name> <network-name> |
Create a bridge network with a specific bridge name. |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
docker volume ls |
List all volumes |
docker volume create <volume-name> |
Create a new volume |
docker volume rm <volume-name> |
Remove a volume |
docker run -v <volume-name>:<container-path> <image> |
Mount a volume into a container |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
docker-compose up |
Start all services defined in a docker-compose.yml file. Creates and starts containers as needed. |
docker-compose up -d |
Start services in detached mode (running in the background). |
docker-compose down |
Stop and remove containers, networks, volumes, and images created by docker-compose up. |
docker-compose down -v |
Stop and remove services along with their associated volumes. |
docker-compose ps |
List the status of containers for the services defined in the docker-compose.yml file. |
docker-compose logs |
View logs for all running services. By default, it displays real-time logs. |
docker-compose logs -f |
Follow logs in real-time for services defined in the docker-compose.yml file. |
docker-compose build |
Build or rebuild images for services defined in the docker-compose.yml file. |
docker-compose build --no-cache |
Build services without using the cache. Forces a fresh build. |
docker-compose pull |
Pull the latest images for all services defined in the docker-compose.yml file. |
docker-compose start |
Start containers for services that were stopped but not removed. |
docker-compose stop |
Stop running containers without removing them. They can be restarted later using docker-compose start. |
docker-compose restart |
Restart running containers for services defined in the docker-compose.yml file. |
docker-compose exec <service-name> <command> |
Execute a command inside a running service container. |
docker-compose run <service-name> <command> |
Run a one-off command in a new container for a service. |
docker-compose config |
Validate and view the configuration of the docker-compose.yml file. |
docker-compose config --services |
List all services defined in the docker-compose.yml file. |
docker-compose config --volumes |
List all volumes defined in the docker-compose.yml file. |
docker-compose kill |
Forcefully stop running containers for all services. |
docker-compose rm |
Remove stopped service containers. Prompts for confirmation by default. |
docker-compose rm -f |
Remove stopped service containers without confirmation. |
docker-compose version |
Display the installed version of Docker Compose. |
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
docker swarm init |
Initialize a new Swarm and make the current node the Swarm manager. |
docker swarm join --token <token> <manager-ip>:<port> |
Join a Swarm as a worker node using the provided token and manager IP. |
docker swarm join-token manager |
Display the join token command to add another manager node. |
docker swarm join-token worker |
Display the join token command to add a worker node. |
docker swarm leave |
Leave the Swarm. Use --force if the node is a manager. |
docker service create --name <service-name> <image> |
Create a new service in the Swarm using the specified image. |
docker service update <service-name> --image <new-image> |
Update an existing service to use a new image. |
docker service ls |
List all services running in the Swarm. |
docker service ps <service-name> |
List all tasks (containers) of a specific service. |
docker service logs <service-name> |
View logs for a specific service. |
docker service rm <service-name> |
Remove a service from the Swarm. |
docker service scale <service-name>=<replica-count> |
Scale a service to the specified number of replicas. |
docker node ls |
List all nodes in the Swarm, showing their roles, availability, and status. |
docker node ps <node-id> |
List tasks running on a specific node. |
docker node rm <node-id> |
Remove a node from the Swarm. The node must leave the Swarm first. |
| `docker node update --availability <active | pause |
docker stack deploy -c <compose-file.yml> <stack-name> |
Deploy a stack using a Docker Compose file. |
docker stack ls |
List all deployed stacks in the Swarm. |
docker stack ps <stack-name> |
List all tasks in a stack. |
docker stack rm <stack-name> |
Remove a deployed stack. |
docker inspect <object> |
Inspect the details of any Docker object (node, service, task, etc.). |
docker events |
Display real-time events from the Swarm. |
docker swarm update --task-history-limit <value> |
Update Swarm settings, such as task history limit. |