Here’s a list of the top 200 most commonly used Docker commands, along with a brief of each. This list includes commands for managing images, containers, networks, volumes, and more:
1. Basic Docker Commands
1. docker --version - Display the installed Docker version.
2. docker info - Display system-wide information about Docker.
3. docker help - Show help for Docker commands.
4. docker pull <image> - Download an image from Docker Hub.
5. docker push <image> - Upload an image to Docker Hub.
6. docker images - List all Docker images on the local machine.
7. docker rmi <image> - Remove a Docker image.
8. docker search <term> - Search for images on Docker Hub.
2. Container Management
9. docker run <image> - Create and start a container from an image.
10. docker ps - List running containers.
11. docker ps -a - List all containers, including stopped ones.
12. docker exec -it <container> <command> - Execute a command in a running container.
13. docker stop <container> - Stop a running container.
14. docker start <container> - Start a stopped container.
15. docker restart <container> - Restart a container.
16. docker rm <container> - Remove a stopped container.
17. docker logs <container> - Fetch logs from a container.
18. docker attach <container> - Attach to a running container's console.
19. docker commit <container> <new-image> - Create a new image from a container's changes.
20. docker rename <old-container> <new-container> - Rename a container.
3. Image Management
21. docker build -t <image-name>:<tag> <build_context_path> - Build an image from a Dockerfile.
22. docker tag <image> <new-image> - Tag an image for easier reference.
23. docker history <image> - Show the history of an image.
24. docker inspect <image> - Display detailed information about an image.
25. docker save -o <file>.tar <image> - Save an image to a tar file.
26. docker load -i <file>.tar - Load an image from a tarfile.
4. Docker Networking
27. docker network ls - List all Docker networks.
28. docker network create <network-name> - Create a new Docker network.
29. docker network rm <network-name> - Remove a Docker network.
30. docker network inspect <network-name> - Display detailed information about a network.
31. docker network connect <network-name> <container>- Connect a container to a network.
32. docker network disconnect <network-name> <container> - Disconnect a container from a network.
5. Docker Volumes
33. docker volume ls - List all Docker volumes.
34. docker volume create <volume-name> - Create a new Docker volume.
35. docker volume rm <volume-name> - Remove a Docker volume.
36. docker volume inspect <volume-name> - Display detailed information about a volume.
37. docker run -v <volume-name>:<container_path <image> - Mount a volume in a container.
6. Docker Compose
38. docker-compose up - Start services defined in a dockercompose.yml file.
39. docker-compose down - Stop and remove services defined in a docker-compose.yml file.
40. docker-compose build - Build or rebuild services defined in a docker-compose.yml file.
41. docker-compose logs - View logs from services defined in a docker-compose.yml file.
42. docker-compose exec <service> <command> - Execute a command in a running service.
43. docker-compose ps - List containers for services defined in a docker-compose.yml file.
7. Docker Swarm
44. docker swarm init - Initialize a Docker Swarm.
45. docker swarm join - Join a node to an existing Swarm.
46. docker swarm leave - Remove a node from a Swarm.
47. docker service create <service> - Create a new service in a Swarm.
48. docker service ls - List services in a Swarm.
49. docker service scale <service>=<replicas> - Scale a service in a Swarm.
8. Docker Registry
50. docker login - Log in to a Docker registry.
51. docker logout - Log out from a Docker registry.
52. docker registry - Interact with a Docker registry.
9. Docker System
53. docker system df - Show disk usage of Docker objects.
54. docker system prune - Remove unused data to free up space.
55. docker system events - Get real-time events from the Docker daemon.
10. Container Statistics
56. docker stats - Display a live stream of container(s) resource usage statistics.
57. docker top - Display the running processes of a container.
11. Docker Configuration
58. docker config ls - List all Docker configs.
59. docker config create <config-name>- Create a new Docker config.
60. docker config rm <config-name> - Remove a Docker config.
12. Docker Secrets
61. docker secret ls - List all Docker secrets.
62. docker secret create <secret-name> <file>- Create a new Docker secret.
63. docker secret rm <secret-name> - Remove a Docker secret.
13. Advanced Docker Commands
64. docker update <contaienr> - Update configuration of a running container.
65. docker cp <container>:<path> <local-path> - Copy files/folders from a container to the local filesystem.
66. docker cp <local-path> <container>:<path> - Copy files/folders from the local filesystem to a container.
67. docker inspect <container> - Display detailed information about a container.
68. docker wait <container> - Block until a container stops, then print its exit code.
14. Docker Health Checks
69. docker run --health-cmd "<command>" - Specify a command to check the health of a container.
70. docker run --health-interval <duration> - Specify how often to perform health checks.
71. docker run --health-timeout <duration> - Specify a maximum time to allow one check to run.
15. Environment Variables
72. docker run -e <key>=<value> - Set an environment variable in a container.
73. docker run --env-file <file>- Set environment variables from a file.
16. Container Restart Policies
74. docker run --restart <policy> - Specify a restart policy for a container.
17. Docker Build Options
75. docker build --no-cache - Build an image without using cache.
76. docker build --build-arg <key>=<value> - Set build-time variables.
18. Networking Options
77. docker run --network <network> - Specify the network a container should join.
78. docker run --ip <ip_address> - Specify an IP address for the container.
19. Volumes and Bind Mounts
79. docker run -v <host_path>:<container_path> - Bind mount a host path to a container path.
80. docker run --mount type=volume,source=<volume>,target=<path> - Specify a volume mount.
20. Container Execution
81. docker run -d <image> - Run a container in detached mode.
82. docker run -it <image> - Run a container in interactive mode with a terminal.
21. Managing Docker Daemon
83. docker daemon - Start the Docker daemon.
84. docker run --privileged - Run a container with extended privileges.
22. Container Cleanup
85. docker rm -f <container> - Forcefully remove a running container.
86. docker rmi -f <image> - Forcefully remove an image.
23. Docker Plugin Management
87. docker plugin ls - List installed plugins.
88. docker plugin install <plugin> - Install a new plugin.
89. docker plugin remove <plugin> - Remove a plugin.
24. Inspecting and Logging
90. docker inspect <object> - Get detailed information about the object.
91. docker logs -f <container> - Follow logs from a container.
25. Docker Contexts
92. docker context ls - List Docker contexts.
93. docker context create <context> - Create a new Docker context.
94. docker context use <context> - Set the current Docker context.
26. Resource Management
95. docker update --cpu-shares <value> <container> - Update the CPU shares of a container.
96. docker update --memory <value> <container> - Update the memory limit of a container.
27. Managing Docker Desktop
97. docker desktop - Open Docker Desktop application.
28. Checking for Updates
98. docker version --format '{{.Client.Version}}' - Get the version of the Docker client.
99. docker version --format '{{.Server.Version}}' - Get the version of the Docker server.
29. Docker Machine Commands
100. docker-machine create <machine_name> - Create a new Docker Machine.
101. docker-machine ls - List all Docker Machines.
102. docker-machine env <machine_name> - Display environment variables for the Docker Machine.
103. docker-machine stop <machine_name> - Stop a Docker Machine.
104. docker-machine start <machine_name> - Start a Docker Machine.
30. Setting Up Dockerfile
105. FROM <image>- Specify the base image.
106. RUN <command>- Execute a command in the image during build.
107. CMD ["executable","param1","param2"] - Specify the default command to run in a container.
108. ENTRYPOINT ["executable", "param1", "param2"] - Set the entry point for a container.
109. WORKDIR /path - Set the working directory for instructions.
110. COPY <source><destination> - Copy files or directories from host to image.
111. ADD <source><destination> - Copy files or directories from host to image with URL support and automatic unpacking of compressed files.
112. ENV <key> <value> - Set environment variables in the image.
113. EXPOSE <port> - Inform Docker that the container listens on the specified network ports at runtime.
114. VOLUME ["/data"] - Create a mount point with the specified path and mark it as holding externally mounted volumes from the native host or other containers.
31. Docker Compose File Configuration
115. version: '3' - Specify the Compose file format version.
116. services: - Define the services in the Compose file.
117. image: - Specify the image for a service.
118. build: - Specify the build context for a service.
119. ports: - Map container ports to host ports.
120. volumes: - Mount volumes into the service container.
121. environment: - Set environment variables for a service.
122. depends_on: - Specify dependencies between services.
123. networks: specify the container to launch in which network
32. Health Check Configuration
123. healthcheck: - Configure health checks for services in Docker Compose.
33. Advanced Networking Options
124. driver: - Specify the network driver to use.
125. ipam: - Configure IP address management options.
34. Scaling Services in Docker Compose
126. docker-compose up --scale <service>=<replicas> - Scale a service to a specified number of replicas.
35. Deploying Applications
127. docker deploy <stack>- Deploy a stack to a Swarm.
128. docker stack ls - List deployed stacks in a Swarm.
36. Managing Swarm Nodes
129. docker node ls - List nodes in the Swarm.
130. docker node update <node> - Update a node's configuration.
131. docker node promote <node> - Promote a node to a manager in a Swarm.
132. docker node demote <node> - Demote a manager to a worker in a Swarm.
37. Container Orchestration
133. docker stack deploy -c <file> <stack> - Deploy a stack using a Compose file.
38. Troubleshooting
134. docker exec -it <container> /bin/bash - Start a shell in a running container.
135. docker inspect --format='{{json .State}}' - Inspect the state of a container in JSON format.
136. docker logs --tail <number><container> - Fetch the last few lines of logs from a container.
39. Managing Docker Services
137. docker service inspect <service> - Inspect a service.
138. docker service update <service> - Update a service.
139. docker service remove <service> - Remove a service.
40. Docker Secrets Management
140. docker secret inspect <secret>- Inspect a Docker secret.
41. Docker Configurations Management
141. docker config create <name> <file> - Create a configuration from a file.
42. Advanced Volume Management
142. docker volume prune - Remove all unused volumes.
43. Resource Limiting Options
143. --cpus - Limit the number of CPUs available to a container.
144. --memory-swappiness - Set the memory swappiness of a container.
44. Docker Context Switching
145. docker context create <context_name> --docker <host> - Create a new Docker context with a specified host.
146. docker context inspect <context_name> - Inspect a Docker context.
45. Cleaning Up Docker Environment
147. docker system prune -a - Remove unused data, including images, containers, and networks.
46. Interactive Mode Commands
148. docker run -it <image> bash - Start a container in interactive mode with a bash shell.
47. Docker File System Commands
149. docker run --rm -v $(pwd):/app -w /app <image> <command> - Run a command in a mounted volume.
48. Docker Build Arguments
150. ARG <name>[=<default>] - Define a variable that users can pass at build-time to the Dockerfile with the docker build command.
49. Docker Compose Override Files
151. docker-compose -f <file> -f <override_file> up - Use multiple Compose files to configure services.
50. Container Startup Options
152. --entrypoint - Override the default entry point of the image.
51. Docker Build Context
153. docker build --file <dockerfile> <context> - Specify the Dockerfile and build context.
52. Docker Info Command Options
154. docker info --format - Format the output of the info command.
53. Using Docker Hub
155. docker hub - Access Docker Hub from the command line.
54. Container Environment Variables
156. docker run -e KEY=value - Set an environment variable when starting a container.
55. Container Exit Code
157. docker inspect --format='{{.State.ExitCode}}' - Get the exit code of a container.
56. Handling Stopped Containers
158. docker ps -f "status=exited" - List stopped containers.
57. Container Networking Options
159. --network-alias - Add an alias to a container in a specified network.
58. Multi-Stage Builds
160. FROM <base-image> AS <stage-name> - Define a stage in a multi-stage Dockerfile.
59. Docker System Commands
161. docker system df -v - Show detailed disk usage of Docker objects.
60. Networking Command Options
162. docker network connect --alias <alias> <network> <container>- Connect a container to a network with an alias.
61. Docker Compose Variables
163. COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME - Specify a project name for Docker Compose.
62. Working with Docker Volumes
164. docker volume prune --force - Force remove unused volumes without confirmation.
63. Container Capabilities
165. --cap-add - Add Linux capabilities to a container.
166. --cap-drop - Drop Linux capabilities from a container.
64. Docker Security Options
167. --security-opt - Set security options for a container.
65. Custom Docker Networks
168. docker network create --driver/-d <driver> <network-name> - Create a custom network with a specified driver.
66. Docker Inspect Command Options
169. docker inspect --format='{{.NetworkSettings.IPAddress}}' - Get the IP address of a container.
67. Docker Events
170. docker events - Get a real-time stream of events from the Docker server.
68. Service Health Checks
171. docker service update --health-cmd <command> <service> - Update the health check command for a service.
69. Image Layers
172. docker history --no-trunc <image> - Show the history of an image without truncating the output.
70. Docker Build Caching
173. docker build --no-cache=true - Disable build cache.
71. Container Restart Policies
174. docker run --restart always - Always restart a container unless it is explicitly stopped.
72. Managing Docker Swarm Services
175. docker service logs <service> - View logs for a specific service in a Swarm.
73. Service Scaling
176. docker service scale <service>=<replicas> - Scale a service to a specified number of replicas.
74. Container Resource Allocation
177. docker run --memory-swap <memory> - Set the total memory limit (memory + swap).
75. Docker Volume Mount Options
178. --mount type=bind,source=<host-path>,target=<container_path> - Specify a bind mount.
76. Docker System Cleanup
179. docker system prune --volumes - Remove unused data, including volumes.
77. File Sharing in Docker
180. -v <host-path>:<container-path> - Create a bind mount to share files between host and container.
78. Running Containers in Detached Mode
181. docker run -d <image> - Run a container in detached mode.
79. Container Health Status
182. docker inspect <container> -- format='{{.State.Health.Status}}' - Get the health status of a container.
80. Using Docker Logs
183. docker logs -f <container> - Follow logs of a running container.
81. Viewing Docker Disk Usage
184. docker system df - Show disk usage for Docker objects.
82. Creating a Docker Network
185. docker network create <network-name> - Create a new Docker network.
83. Inspecting Docker Networks
186. docker network inspect <network-name> - Inspect a Docker network.
84. Removing Docker Networks
187. docker network rm <network-name> - Remove a Docker network.
85. Container Resource Limits
188. --cpu-shares - Set CPU shares for a container.
86. Docker Compose with Multiple Files
189. docker-compose -f <file1>-f <file2> up - Use multiple Docker Compose files.
87. Managing Docker Contexts
190. docker context use <context-name> - Switch to a different Docker context.
88. Docker Run Command Options
191. --rm - Automatically remove the container when it exits.
89. Using Docker with Systemd
192. sudo systemctl start docker - Start the Docker service on systems using systemd.
90. Checking Docker Version
193. docker --version - Show the Docker version.
91. Docker Command Line Help
194. docker <command> --help - Display help for a specific Docker command.
92. Running a Container with a Specific User
195. docker run -u <username> - Run a container with a specific user.
93. Building Images with a Dockerfile
196. docker build -t <image_name> . - Build an image from a Dockerfile in the current directory.
94. Running Containers in Background
197. docker run -d <image> - Start a container in detached mode.
95. Docker Networking Commands
198. docker network create -d <driver> <network-name>- Create a new network with a specific driver.
96. Displaying Docker System Information
199. docker version - Show version information for Docker client and server.
97. Running a Shell in a Container
200. docker exec -it <container> sh - Start a shell in a running container using sh.