This Docker cheat sheet covers the commands you need to discover your installation, download and build images, create and operate containers, publish ports, persist data, connect services, and run Compose applications. The key distinction is simple: docker run creates and starts a new container, while docker start starts a container that already exists. Use the examples as templates, replacing uppercase values with your own names.
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Docker’s command-line model
Docker has separate resources with separate lifecycles. An image is an immutable package used as a template. A container is a runnable instance of an image. A volume stores data outside a container’s writable layer. A network provides connectivity and service discovery. Docker Compose groups containers, networks and volumes into an application described by a Compose file.
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Most commands follow the pattern docker <object> <action>, although common shortcuts such as docker ps and docker run remain widely used. Every installed command can show its own options with --help.
How to check Docker and get built-in help
Run these commands before troubleshooting an unfamiliar machine:
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docker --version
docker version
docker info
docker <command> --helpdocker --versionprints the client version in a compact form.docker versionreports client and server (engine) versions, which helps identify a client–daemon mismatch.docker infoshows engine storage, cgroup, runtime and resource details. It also confirms whether the CLI can reach the daemon.docker container --help,docker image --helpand similar forms list subcommands and accepted flags.
If a command returns a permission or daemon-connection error, fix that installation or service issue first; image and container commands cannot work until the client can reach a running Docker engine.
Essential image commands
Images are the starting point for containers. Pull a published image, inspect local images, build your own, add tags, and push tags to a registry.
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docker pull IMAGE[:TAG]
docker images
docker image ls
docker build -t NAME:TAG .
docker image build -f Dockerfile -t NAME:TAG .
docker tag SOURCE_IMAGE[:TAG] TARGET_IMAGE[:TAG]
docker push NAME:TAG
docker image inspect IMAGE| Command | Purpose | Important behavior |
|---|---|---|
docker pull |
Downloads an image from its registry. | If no tag is supplied, Docker uses the registry’s default tag; specify a tag when repeatability matters. |
docker build -t |
Builds an image from a Dockerfile and build context. | The final . is the context directory sent to the builder. |
docker tag |
Adds another repository:tag reference to an existing image. | Tagging does not create a second copy of the image layers. |
docker push |
Uploads a tagged image to a registry. | You must authenticate to a private registry and use a tag that points to that registry. |
docker image inspect |
Displays configuration, layers, architecture and metadata. | Use it to verify an image’s entrypoint, environment and platform before running it. |
How to build an image with the right controls
The basic build is:
docker build -t myapp:1.0 .Use these options when the default build is not sufficient:
--file PATH(or-f PATH) selects a Dockerfile with a different name or location:docker build --file Dockerfile.prod -t myapp:prod ..--pullchecks the registry for a newer version of every referenced base image instead of relying only on a local copy.--no-cacherebuilds instructions without reusing cached layers. This is useful when a stale package index or copied file is suspected, but it usually makes builds slower.--platform linux/amd64or another platform requests a target architecture. Confirm that the base image and any native dependencies support it.--target STAGEstops at a named stage in a multi-stage Dockerfile, which is useful for producing a development or debugging image.
Keep the build context small with a suitable .dockerignore. A large context slows transfers and can accidentally include credentials or generated files. Use a deterministic tag such as a release number or commit identifier rather than relying on an ambiguous local tag.
How to create, start, stop and remove containers
docker run creates a new container from an image and starts it. If the image is not local, Docker pulls it first. The shortest form is:
docker run --name NAME IMAGEA detached web container with a published port looks like this:
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docker run -d --name web -p 8080:80 IMAGEUse these lifecycle commands:
docker ps
docker ps -a
docker start CONTAINER
docker stop CONTAINER
docker restart CONTAINER
docker kill CONTAINER
docker rm CONTAINER
docker logs CONTAINER
docker logs -f CONTAINER
docker inspect CONTAINER
docker stats CONTAINER| Command | Creates a new container? | What it does |
|---|---|---|
docker run |
Yes | Creates and starts a container from an image; options such as ports, mounts, environment and networks apply at creation time. |
docker start |
No | Starts an existing stopped container with its original configuration. |
docker stop |
No | Requests a graceful stop, allowing the process to handle the termination signal. |
docker kill |
No | Immediately sends a kill signal when graceful stopping is not working. |
docker rm |
No | Removes a stopped container. Its writable layer is deleted; mounted volumes are separate resources. |
docker ps lists running containers only. Add -a to include containers that exited or were stopped. If you need a different port, mount or environment setting, do not use start; remove the old container and run a new one with the desired options.
How to publish ports safely
Use -p HOST_PORT:CONTAINER_PORT to publish a container port on the host:
docker run -p 8080:80 IMAGEThis exposes container port 80 through host port 8080. To keep a development service reachable only from the local machine, bind the host address explicitly:
docker run -p 127.0.0.1:8080:80 IMAGEPublishing is not the same as making an application listen. The process inside the container must listen on the container port, and many web servers must listen on 0.0.0.0 rather than only on 127.0.0.1 inside the container. If the host port is already occupied, choose another host port or stop the conflicting process.
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Docker’s explicit --mount syntax makes the mount type and paths visible:
docker run --mount type=bind,src=$PWD,dst=/app IMAGE
docker run --mount type=volume,src=DATA,dst=/var/lib/data IMAGE
docker run --mount type=tmpfs,dst=/run/cache IMAGEBind mounts
A bind mount maps a specific host directory or file into the container. It is convenient for source-code development because edits on the host appear immediately in the container. The host path must exist (or be handled according to the engine’s platform rules), and permissions are those of the host filesystem.
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Named volumes
A named volume is managed by Docker and is a better default for database or application data that should survive container replacement:
docker volume create DATA
docker volume ls
docker volume inspect DATA
docker volume rm DATA
docker run --mount type=volume,src=DATA,dst=/var/lib/data IMAGERemoving a container does not remove a named volume unless you explicitly remove the volume or use a higher-level teardown command with volume deletion.
Tmpfs mounts
A tmpfs mount stores files in memory and disappears when the container stops. It can suit short-lived caches or sensitive temporary data, but it consumes host memory and is not persistent.
The older -v or --volume form remains supported, but --mount is clearer for scripts because each setting is named.
How to enter a running container and move files
Use docker exec for a command in an already-running container:
docker exec -it CONTAINER sh
docker exec -it CONTAINER bash
docker exec CONTAINER COMMAND-i keeps standard input open and -t allocates a terminal. Use sh when the image does not include Bash. An interactive shell changes the live container only; it does not update the image or recreate the container.
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Copy files in either direction with:
docker cp CONTAINER:/path ./local-path
docker cp ./local-path CONTAINER:/pathdocker commit CONTAINER IMAGE:TAG can capture a container’s current filesystem as an image, but it is rarely suitable for repeatable production builds. Put package installation, configuration and application files in a Dockerfile or Compose definition instead.
How to connect containers with Docker networks
List and manage networks with:
docker network ls
docker network create APP-NET
docker network inspect APP-NET
docker network connect APP-NET CONTAINER
docker network disconnect APP-NET CONTAINER
docker network rm APP-NETRun related containers on a user-created network:
docker run -d --network APP-NET --name api API-IMAGE
docker run -d --network APP-NET --name worker WORKER-IMAGEContainers on the same user-created bridge network can resolve one another by container name. An application can therefore connect to api rather than a changing container IP. Inspect the network when a connection fails; check that both containers are attached, the destination process is listening on the expected internal port, and the application uses the container name rather than localhost.
Docker Compose commands for multi-container applications
Compose defines and runs multi-container applications from a YAML file, normally named compose.yaml or docker-compose.yml. Check the plugin and validate the fully merged configuration:
docker compose version
docker compose configCommon lifecycle commands are:
docker compose pull
docker compose build
docker compose up
docker compose up -d
docker compose ps
docker compose logs -f SERVICE
docker compose exec SERVICE COMMAND
docker compose restart SERVICE
docker compose stop
docker compose down
docker compose down -vNormal startup and observation
Use docker compose up -d for the normal application lifecycle. It creates and starts the declared services in the background. Add --build when images should be rebuilt before startup: docker compose up -d --build. Use docker compose ps to see service state, docker compose logs -f SERVICE to follow one service, and docker compose exec SERVICE COMMAND to run a command in an existing service container.
Build and pull controls
docker compose build builds services that have a build context. Current Compose versions support controls including --no-cache, --pull, --push, --sbom, --provenance and --with-dependencies. Use the options that match your release or supply-chain requirements rather than adding them indiscriminately.
Stopping versus tearing down
docker compose stop stops service containers but leaves the application’s containers, network and volumes available for another up. docker compose down stops and removes the project’s containers and default network. Add -v only when you also intend to remove named volumes declared by the project; that can permanently delete database data.
docker compose up versus docker compose run
| Command | Best use | Ports and lifecycle |
|---|---|---|
docker compose up |
Start the complete application or selected services. | Creates the declared service containers, networks and dependencies; publishes configured service ports. |
docker compose run --rm SERVICE COMMAND |
Run a one-off migration, test, shell or administrative task using a service definition. | Creates a temporary container and removes it after completion with --rm. Configured service ports are not published by default. |
For a one-off task that must expose the service’s configured ports, add --service-ports:
docker compose run --rm --service-ports SERVICE COMMANDChoose up when you want the application running as a set of services; choose run when the command is an isolated job that should not replace or alter the long-running service container.
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Compose networking and service names
Compose normally creates one default network for each application project. Every service container joins that network and can reach another service by its service name. A database connection therefore uses a hostname such as db, not a hard-coded container IP.
For segmentation, declare named networks in the Compose file, such as a front-tier network for a proxy and application and a back-tier network for the application and database. Attach each service only to the networks it needs. This keeps routing intentional while preserving service-name discovery within each shared network.
Cleanup commands and what they delete
Inspect disk usage before deleting anything:
docker system df
docker system prune
docker container prune
docker image prune
docker volume prune
docker network prune
docker events
docker inspect CONTAINER_OR_IMAGEdocker container pruneremoves stopped containers.docker image pruneremoves unused image data according to the command’s filters.docker volume prunecan delete volumes that are not currently attached; treat it as a data-loss operation.docker network pruneremoves unused networks.docker system prunecombines several cleanup categories. Read its confirmation summary and use filters when available.
Do not use a broad prune command as the first response to a failed deployment. Identify the stopped container with docker ps -a, read its logs, inspect its mounts and environment, and remove only resources you have confirmed are disposable.
Quick Recap
A practical troubleshooting sequence
The container exits immediately
- List stopped containers with
docker ps -a. - Read the reason and application output with
docker logs CONTAINER. - Inspect the configured command, entrypoint and environment with
docker inspect CONTAINER. - If the image is correct but the command is wrong, recreate the container with a corrected
docker runcommand;docker startcannot change creation-time settings.
The service is running but unreachable
- Confirm the container is running with
docker ps. - Verify the host-to-container mapping in the original run command or Compose configuration.
- Check that the process listens on the container port and on the appropriate interface.
- For container-to-container traffic, verify a shared user-created network or Compose network and use the service/container name as the hostname.
Data disappeared after replacement
- Check whether the data path was a named volume, bind mount or only the container’s writable layer.
- Use
docker volume lsanddocker volume inspect DATAto locate a named volume. - Recreate the container with the same volume mapping. Do not run
docker compose down -vordocker volume pruneuntil backups and retention requirements are confirmed.
Choosing the right command at a glance
| Need | Use |
|---|---|
| Get an image that already exists in a registry | docker pull IMAGE[:TAG] |
| Create an image from a Dockerfile | docker build -t NAME:TAG . |
| Create and start a fresh container | docker run ... IMAGE |
| Restart a stopped container unchanged | docker start CONTAINER |
| Run a command inside a running container | docker exec -it CONTAINER COMMAND |
| Run the declared multi-service application | docker compose up -d |
| Run a temporary Compose task | docker compose run --rm SERVICE COMMAND |
| Stop and remove a Compose application | docker compose down |
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