Docker Config Reference (docker help)
Docker Config Super Reference (docker help)
docker help
docker --help
This command displays the general help overview for the Docker CLI, listing all available commands, options, and usage instructions, which is essential for users seeking an introduction to Docker's core functionality in any new or unfamiliar environment.
docker run
docker run --help
This command provides detailed help for the "run" subcommand, including syntax, options like port mapping and volume mounting, and examples, aiding users in understanding how to create and start containers effectively.
Aliases:
docker container run, docker run
Options:
--add-host list Add a custom host-to-IP mapping (host:ip)
--annotation map Add an annotation to the container (passed through to the OCI runtime)
(default map[])
-a, --attach list Attach to STDIN, STDOUT or STDERR
--blkio-weight uint16 Block IO (relative weight), between 10 and 1000, or 0 to disable (default 0)
--blkio-weight-device list Block IO weight (relative device weight) (default [])
--cap-add list Add Linux capabilities
--cap-drop list Drop Linux capabilities
--cgroup-parent string Optional parent cgroup for the container
--cgroupns string Cgroup namespace to use (host|private)
'host': Run the container in the Docker host's cgroup namespace
'private': Run the container in its own private cgroup namespace
'': Use the cgroup namespace as configured by the
default-cgroupns-mode option on the daemon (default)
--cidfile string Write the container ID to the file
--cpu-period int Limit CPU CFS (Completely Fair Scheduler) period
--cpu-quota int Limit CPU CFS (Completely Fair Scheduler) quota
--cpu-rt-period int Limit CPU real-time period in microseconds
--cpu-rt-runtime int Limit CPU real-time runtime in microseconds
-c, --cpu-shares int CPU shares (relative weight)
--cpus decimal Number of CPUs
--cpuset-cpus string CPUs in which to allow execution (0-3, 0,1)
--cpuset-mems string MEMs in which to allow execution (0-3, 0,1)
-d, --detach Run container in background and print container ID
--detach-keys string Override the key sequence for detaching a container
--device list Add a host device to the container
--device-cgroup-rule list Add a rule to the cgroup allowed devices list
--device-read-bps list Limit read rate (bytes per second) from a device (default [])
--device-read-iops list Limit read rate (IO per second) from a device (default [])
--device-write-bps list Limit write rate (bytes per second) to a device (default [])
--device-write-iops list Limit write rate (IO per second) to a device (default [])
--dns list Set custom DNS servers
--dns-option list Set DNS options
--dns-search list Set custom DNS search domains
--domainname string Container NIS domain name
--entrypoint string Overwrite the default ENTRYPOINT of the image
-e, --env list Set environment variables
--env-file list Read in a file of environment variables
--expose list Expose a port or a range of ports
--gpus gpu-request GPU devices to add to the container ('all' to pass all GPUs)
--group-add list Add additional groups to join
--health-cmd string Command to run to check health
--health-interval duration Time between running the check (ms|s|m|h) (default 0s)
--health-retries int Consecutive failures needed to report unhealthy
--health-start-interval duration Time between running the check during the start period (ms|s|m|h) (default 0s)
--health-start-period duration Start period for the container to initialize before starting health-retries
countdown (ms|s|m|h) (default 0s)
--health-timeout duration Maximum time to allow one check to run (ms|s|m|h) (default 0s)
--help Print usage
-h, --hostname string Container host name
--init Run an init inside the container that forwards signals and reaps processes
-i, --interactive Keep STDIN open even if not attached
--ip ip IPv4 address (e.g., 172.30.100.104)
--ip6 ip IPv6 address (e.g., 2001:db8::33)
--ipc string IPC mode to use
--isolation string Container isolation technology
-l, --label list Set meta data on a container
--label-file list Read in a line delimited file of labels
--link list Add link to another container
--link-local-ip list Container IPv4/IPv6 link-local addresses
--log-driver string Logging driver for the container
--log-opt list Log driver options
--mac-address string Container MAC address (e.g., 92:d0:c6:0a:29:33)
-m, --memory bytes Memory limit
--memory-reservation bytes Memory soft limit
--memory-swap bytes Swap limit equal to memory plus swap: '-1' to enable unlimited swap
--memory-swappiness int Tune container memory swappiness (0 to 100) (default -1)
--mount mount Attach a filesystem mount to the container
--name string Assign a name to the container
--network network Connect a container to a network
--network-alias list Add network-scoped alias for the container
--no-healthcheck Disable any container-specified HEALTHCHECK
--oom-kill-disable Disable OOM Killer
--oom-score-adj int Tune host's OOM preferences (-1000 to 1000)
--pid string PID namespace to use
--pids-limit int Tune container pids limit (set -1 for unlimited)
--platform string Set platform if server is multi-platform capable
--privileged Give extended privileges to this container
-p, --publish list Publish a container's port(s) to the host
-P, --publish-all Publish all exposed ports to random ports
--pull string Pull image before running ("always", "missing", "never") (default "missing")
-q, --quiet Suppress the pull output
--read-only Mount the container's root filesystem as read only
--restart string Restart policy to apply when a container exits (default "no")
--rm Automatically remove the container and its associated anonymous volumes
when it exits
--runtime string Runtime to use for this container
--security-opt list Security Options
--shm-size bytes Size of /dev/shm
--sig-proxy Proxy received signals to the process (default true)
--stop-signal string Signal to stop the container
--stop-timeout int Timeout (in seconds) to stop a container
--storage-opt list Storage driver options for the container
--sysctl map Sysctl options (default map[])
--tmpfs list Mount a tmpfs directory
-t, --tty Allocate a pseudo-TTY
--ulimit ulimit Ulimit options (default [])
--use-api-socket Bind mount Docker API socket and required auth
-u, --user string Username or UID (format: <name|uid>[:<group|gid>])
--userns string User namespace to use
--uts string UTS namespace to use
-v, --volume list Bind mount a volume
--volume-driver string Optional volume driver for the container
--volumes-from list Mount volumes from the specified container(s)
-w, --workdir string Working directory inside the container
docker ps
docker ps --help
This command shows help for the "ps" subcommand, detailing options for listing containers, such as filtering by status or formatting output, which is valuable for monitoring running processes in operational scenarios.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker ps --help
Usage: docker ps [OPTIONS]
List containers
Aliases:
docker container ls, docker container list, docker container ps, docker ps
Options:
-a, --all Show all containers (default shows just running)
-f, --filter filter Filter output based on conditions provided
--format string Format output using a custom template:
'table': Print output in table format with column headers (default)
'table TEMPLATE': Print output in table format using the given Go template
'json': Print in JSON format
'TEMPLATE': Print output using the given Go template.
Refer to https://docs.docker.com/go/formatting/ for more information about formatting output
with templates
-n, --last int Show n last created containers (includes all states) (default -1)
-l, --latest Show the latest created container (includes all states)
--no-trunc Don't truncate output
-q, --quiet Only display container IDs
-s, --size Display total file sizes
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker build
docker build --help
This command outputs help for the "build" subcommand, explaining parameters for constructing images from Dockerfiles, including caching and tagging, suitable for developers building custom images.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker ps --help
Usage: docker ps [OPTIONS]
List containers
Aliases:
docker container ls, docker container list, docker container ps, docker ps
Options:
-a, --all Show all containers (default shows just running)
-f, --filter filter Filter output based on conditions provided
--format string Format output using a custom template:
'table': Print output in table format with column headers (default)
'table TEMPLATE': Print output in table format using the given Go template
'json': Print in JSON format
'TEMPLATE': Print output using the given Go template.
Refer to https://docs.docker.com/go/formatting/ for more information about formatting output
with templates
-n, --last int Show n last created containers (includes all states) (default -1)
-l, --latest Show the latest created container (includes all states)
--no-trunc Don't truncate output
-q, --quiet Only display container IDs
-s, --size Display total file sizes
docker network
docker network --help
This command presents help for network management subcommands, covering creation, inspection, and removal of networks, which is critical in networked multi-container applications.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker network --help
Usage: docker network COMMAND
Manage networks
Commands:
connect Connect a container to a network
create Create a network
disconnect Disconnect a container from a network
inspect Display detailed information on one or more networks
ls List networks
prune Remove all unused networks
rm Remove one or more networks
Run 'docker network COMMAND --help' for more information on a command.
docker volume
docker volume --help
This command displays help for volume-related operations, including creation, listing, and pruning, assisting in managing persistent data storage across container lifecycles.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker volume --help
Usage: docker volume COMMAND
Manage volumes
Commands:
create Create a volume
inspect Display detailed information on one or more volumes
ls List volumes
prune Remove unused local volumes
rm Remove one or more volumes
Run 'docker volume COMMAND --help' for more information on a command.
docker image
docker image --help
This command provides help for image management, detailing subcommands for listing, removing, and saving images, useful for registry and storage optimization tasks.
Usage: docker image COMMAND
Manage images
Commands:
build Build an image from a Dockerfile
history Show the history of an image
import Import the contents from a tarball to create a filesystem image
inspect Display detailed information on one or more images
load Load an image from a tar archive or STDIN
ls List images
prune Remove unused images
pull Download an image from a registry
push Upload an image to a registry
rm Remove one or more images
save Save one or more images to a tar archive (streamed to STDOUT by default)
tag Create a tag TARGET_IMAGE that refers to SOURCE_IMAGE
Run 'docker image COMMAND --help' for more information on a command.
docker container
docker container --help
This command shows help for container subcommands, such as start, stop, and exec, offering guidance for direct container manipulation in debugging contexts.
Usage: docker container COMMAND
Manage containers
Commands:
attach Attach local standard input, output, and error streams to a running container
commit Create a new image from a container's changes
cp Copy files/folders between a container and the local filesystem
create Create a new container
diff Inspect changes to files or directories on a container's filesystem
exec Execute a command in a running container
export Export a container's filesystem as a tar archive
inspect Display detailed information on one or more containers
kill Kill one or more running containers
logs Fetch the logs of a container
ls List containers
pause Pause all processes within one or more containers
port List port mappings or a specific mapping for the container
prune Remove all stopped containers
rename Rename a container
restart Restart one or more containers
rm Remove one or more containers
run Create and run a new container from an image
start Start one or more stopped containers
stats Display a live stream of container(s) resource usage statistics
stop Stop one or more running containers
top Display the running processes of a container
unpause Unpause all processes within one or more containers
update Update configuration of one or more containers
wait Block until one or more containers stop, then print their exit codes
Run 'docker container COMMAND --help' for more information on a command.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker logs
docker logs --help
This command outputs help for retrieving container logs, including options for following output or timestamps, which is indispensable for troubleshooting application errors.
Usage: docker logs [OPTIONS] CONTAINER
Fetch the logs of a container
Aliases:
docker container logs, docker logs
Options:
--details Show extra details provided to logs
-f, --follow Follow log output
--since string Show logs since timestamp (e.g. "2013-01-02T13:23:37Z") or relative (e.g. "42m" for 42 minutes)
-n, --tail string Number of lines to show from the end of the logs (default "all")
-t, --timestamps Show timestamps
--until string Show logs before a timestamp (e.g. "2013-01-02T13:23:37Z") or relative (e.g. "42m" for 42 minutes)
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker exec
docker exec --help
This command displays help for executing commands inside running containers, covering interactive modes and user specifications, ideal for runtime interventions.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker exec --help
Usage: docker exec [OPTIONS] CONTAINER COMMAND [ARG...]
Execute a command in a running container
Aliases:
docker container exec, docker exec
Options:
-d, --detach Detached mode: run command in the background
--detach-keys string Override the key sequence for detaching a container
-e, --env list Set environment variables
--env-file list Read in a file of environment variables
-i, --interactive Keep STDIN open even if not attached
--privileged Give extended privileges to the command
-t, --tty Allocate a pseudo-TTY
-u, --user string Username or UID (format: "<name|uid>[:<group|gid>]")
-w, --workdir string Working directory inside the container
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker cp
docker cp --help
This command provides help for copying files between containers and the host, explaining syntax for both directions, supporting data transfer in isolated environments.
Usage: docker cp [OPTIONS] CONTAINER:SRC_PATH DEST_PATH|-
docker cp [OPTIONS] SRC_PATH|- CONTAINER:DEST_PATH
Copy files/folders between a container and the local filesystem
Use '-' as the source to read a tar archive from stdin
and extract it to a directory destination in a container.
Use '-' as the destination to stream a tar archive of a
container source to stdout.
Aliases:
docker container cp, docker cp
Options:
-a, --archive Archive mode (copy all uid/gid information)
-L, --follow-link Always follow symbol link in SRC_PATH
-q, --quiet Suppress progress output during copy. Progress output is automatically suppressed if no
terminal is attached
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker commit
docker commit --help
This command shows help for committing container changes to a new image, including options for messages and authors, useful for creating custom images from modified states.
Usage: docker commit [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [REPOSITORY[:TAG]]
Create a new image from a container's changes
Aliases:
docker container commit, docker commit
Options:
-a, --author string Author (e.g., "John Hannibal Smith <hannibal@a-team.com>")
-c, --change list Apply Dockerfile instruction to the created image
-m, --message string Commit message
--no-pause Disable pausing container during commit
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker diff
docker diff --help
This command outputs help for inspecting filesystem changes in containers, which is beneficial for auditing modifications in development or security reviews.
Usage: docker diff CONTAINER
Inspect changes to files or directories on a container's filesystem
Aliases:
docker container diff, docker diff
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker events
docker events --help
This command displays help for streaming Docker events, with filters for types and scopes, enabling real-time system monitoring in production settings.
Usage: docker events [OPTIONS]
Get real time events from the server
Aliases:
docker system events, docker events
Options:
-f, --filter filter Filter output based on conditions provided
--format string Format output using a custom template:
'json': Print in JSON format
'TEMPLATE': Print output using the given Go template.
Refer to https://docs.docker.com/go/formatting/ for more information about formatting output
with templates
--since string Show all events created since timestamp
--until string Stream events until this timestamp
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker export
docker export --help
This command provides help for exporting container filesystems to tar archives, assisting in backups or migrations without preserving image layers.
Usage: docker export [OPTIONS] CONTAINER
Export a container's filesystem as a tar archive
Aliases:
docker container export, docker export
Options:
-o, --output string Write to a file, instead of STDOUT
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker history
docker history --help
This command shows help for viewing image layer history, including options for human-readable sizes, which aids in understanding image composition.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker history --help
Usage: docker history [OPTIONS] IMAGE
Show the history of an image
Aliases:
docker image history, docker history
Options:
--format string Format output using a custom template:
'table': Print output in table format with column headers (default)
'table TEMPLATE': Print output in table format using the given Go template
'json': Print in JSON format
'TEMPLATE': Print output using the given Go template.
Refer to https://docs.docker.com/go/formatting/ for more information about formatting
output with templates
-H, --human Print sizes and dates in human readable format (default true)
--no-trunc Don't truncate output
--platform string Show history for the given platform. Formatted as "os[/arch[/variant]]" (e.g., "linux/amd64")
-q, --quiet Only show image IDs
docker import
docker import --help
This command outputs help for importing tar archives as images, supporting changes like commands or entrypoints during import.
Usage: docker import [OPTIONS] file|URL|- [REPOSITORY[:TAG]]
Import the contents from a tarball to create a filesystem image
Aliases:
docker image import, docker import
Options:
-c, --change list Apply Dockerfile instruction to the created image
-m, --message string Set commit message for imported image
--platform string Set platform if server is multi-platform capable
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker info
docker info --help
This command displays help for retrieving system-wide Docker information, useful for diagnosing host configurations and versions.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker info --help
Usage: docker info [OPTIONS]
Display system-wide information
Aliases:
docker system info, docker info
Options:
-f, --format string Format output using a custom template:
'json': Print in JSON format
'TEMPLATE': Print output using the given Go template.
Refer to https://docs.docker.com/go/formatting/ for more information about formatting output
with templates
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker inspect
docker inspect --help
This command provides help for inspecting low-level details of Docker objects, with formatting options for JSON extraction in automation.
Usage: docker inspect [OPTIONS] NAME|ID [NAME|ID...]
Return low-level information on Docker objects
Options:
-f, --format string Format output using a custom template:
'json': Print in JSON format
'TEMPLATE': Print output using the given Go template.
Refer to https://docs.docker.com/go/formatting/ for more information about formatting output
with templates
-s, --size Display total file sizes if the type is container
--type string Only inspect objects of the given type
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker kill
docker kill --help
This command shows help for sending signals to containers, including custom signals, for controlled termination in unresponsive scenarios.
Usage: docker kill [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...]
Kill one or more running containers
Aliases:
docker container kill, docker kill
Options:
-s, --signal string Signal to send to the container
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker load
docker load --help
This command outputs help for loading images from tar archives, supporting input redirection for registry-independent transfers.
Usage: docker load [OPTIONS]
Load an image from a tar archive or STDIN
Aliases:
docker image load, docker load
Options:
-i, --input string Read from tar archive file, instead of STDIN
--platform strings Load only the given platform(s). Formatted as a comma-separated list of
"os[/arch[/variant]]" (e.g., "linux/amd64,linux/arm64/v8").
-q, --quiet Suppress the load output
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker login
docker login --help
This command displays help for authenticating to registries, including username and password options, essential for secure image pushes and pulls.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker login --help
Usage: docker login [OPTIONS] [SERVER]
Authenticate to a registry.
Defaults to Docker Hub if no server is specified.
Options:
-p, --password string Password or Personal Access Token (PAT)
--password-stdin Take the Password or Personal Access Token (PAT) from stdin
-u, --username string Username
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker logout
docker logout --help
This command provides help for logging out from registries, ensuring credential revocation in shared or secure environments.
Usage: docker logout [SERVER]
Log out from a registry.
If no server is specified, the default is defined by the daemon.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker pause / unpause
docker pause --help
This command shows help for pausing container processes, which is useful for temporary suspensions in resource management.
Usage: docker pause CONTAINER [CONTAINER...]
Pause all processes within one or more containers
Aliases:
docker container pause, docker pause
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker port
docker port --help
This command outputs help for listing port mappings, aiding in network configuration verification.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker port --help
Usage: docker port CONTAINER [PRIVATE_PORT[/PROTO]]
List port mappings or a specific mapping for the container
Aliases:
docker container port, docker port
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker rename
docker rename --help
This command displays help for renaming containers, supporting simple identifier changes for organization.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker rename --help
Usage: docker rename CONTAINER NEW_NAME
Rename a container
Aliases:
docker container rename, docker rename
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker restart
docker restart --help
This command provides help for restarting containers, with timeout options for graceful handling.
Usage: docker restart [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...]
Restart one or more containers
Aliases:
docker container restart, docker restart
Options:
-s, --signal string Signal to send to the container
-t, --timeout int Seconds to wait before killing the container
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker rmi
docker rmi --help
This command shows help for removing images, including force options for dangling or tagged images.
Usage: docker rmi [OPTIONS] IMAGE [IMAGE...]
Remove one or more images
Aliases:
docker image rm, docker image remove, docker rmi
Options:
-f, --force Force removal of the image
--no-prune Do not delete untagged parents
--platform strings Remove only the given platform variant. Formatted as "os[/arch[/variant]]" (e.g.,
"linux/amd64")
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker save
docker save --help
This command outputs help for saving images to tar archives, supporting multi-image exports for offline distribution.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker save --help
Usage: docker save [OPTIONS] IMAGE [IMAGE...]
Save one or more images to a tar archive (streamed to STDOUT by default)
Aliases:
docker image save, docker save
Options:
-o, --output string Write to a file, instead of STDOUT
--platform strings Save only the given platform(s). Formatted as a comma-separated list of
"os[/arch[/variant]]" (e.g., "linux/amd64,linux/arm64/v8")
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $
docker search
docker search --help
This command displays help for searching Docker Hub repositories, with filters for stars or official status, assisting in image discovery.
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $ docker search --help
Usage: docker search [OPTIONS] TERM
Search Docker Hub for images
Options:
-f, --filter filter Filter output based on conditions provided
--format string Pretty-print search using a Go template
--limit int Max number of search results
--no-trunc Don't truncate output
c@parrot 192.168.1.65 [~] $