Docker Config Reference (docker inspect)

We go over many examples of using docker info to obtain statistics on a container

Docker Config Reference (docker inspect)
using the docker inspect command

Example 1

docker inspect myrunningcontainer

This command retrieves detailed metadata about the running container "myrunningcontainer" in JSON format, encompassing configuration, state, network settings, and resource usage, which is essential for comprehensive runtime analysis in operational environments.

Example 2

docker inspect --format '{{.State.Status}}' stoppedcontainer

This command extracts and displays only the status (e.g., "exited") of the stopped container "stoppedcontainer" using Go template formatting, facilitating quick state verification in automation scripts.

Example 3

docker inspect --type=image nginx:latest

This command inspects the "nginx:latest" image, specifying the type to ensure image-specific details like layers, architecture, and environment variables are returned, aiding in image compatibility assessments.

Example 4

docker inspect a1b2c3d4e5f6

This command inspects a container by its partial ID "a1b2c3d4e5f6", providing flexibility when full names are unavailable, and outputs complete JSON metadata for diagnostic purposes.

Example 5

docker inspect --format '{{json .NetworkSettings}}' netcont

This command formats the output to show only the network settings of "netcont" in JSON, which is valuable for troubleshooting connectivity issues in networked applications.

Example 6

docker inspect --size datavolcont

This command inspects the container "datavolcont" and includes filesystem size information (--size), enabling storage usage evaluation for data-intensive workloads.

Example 7

docker inspect --type=network mybridge

This command inspects the custom bridge network "mybridge", detailing subnet, gateway, and attached containers, supporting network configuration reviews.

Example 8

docker inspect --format '{{.Config.Hostname}}' hostcont

This command extracts the hostname from the configuration of "hostcont", assisting in verifying container identity in clustered setups.

Example 9

docker inspect --type=volume myvolume

This command inspects the named volume "myvolume", providing mountpoint, driver, and label details for persistent storage management.

Example 10

docker inspect --format '{{.State.Pid}}' proccont

This command displays the process ID (PID) of the main process in "proccont", which is useful for host-level process monitoring or integration with system tools.

Example 11

docker inspect f6e5d4c3b2a1

This command inspects a container by its full ID "f6e5d4c3b2a1", ensuring precise targeting in environments with multiple similar objects.

Example 12

docker inspect --format '{{json .Mounts}}' mountcont

This command outputs the mount points of "mountcont" in JSON, aiding in volume and bind mount verification for data persistence.

Example 13

docker inspect --type=plugin myplugin

This command inspects the installed plugin "myplugin", detailing its configuration and capabilities for extensibility checks.

Example 14

docker inspect --format '{{.LogPath}}' logcont

This command retrieves the log file path for "logcont", supporting custom log analysis or rotation configurations.

Example 15

docker inspect --type=secret mysecret

This command inspects the Swarm secret "mysecret", providing metadata like labels and creation time for security auditing in clustered environments.

Example 16

docker inspect --format '{{.Args}}' argcont

This command displays the command-line arguments of "argcont", verifying runtime parameters in application launches.

Example 17

docker inspect --type=config myconfig

This command inspects the Swarm config "myconfig", detailing its content and labels for configuration management.

Example 18

docker inspect --format '{{json .HostConfig}}' hostconfigcont

This command outputs the host configuration of "hostconfigcont" in JSON, including resource limits and security options for performance tuning.

Example 19

docker inspect --type=node swarmnode

This command inspects the Swarm node "swarmnode", providing availability, role, and resource details for cluster administration.

Example 20

docker inspect --format '{{.RestartCount}}' restartcont

This command shows the restart count for "restartcont", monitoring stability in high-availability setups.

Example 21

docker inspect --type=task myswarmtask

This command inspects the Swarm task "myswarmtask", detailing its state, node assignment, and logs for orchestration troubleshooting.

Example 22

docker inspect --format '{{.Health.Status}}' healthcont

This command extracts the health status of "healthcont", verifying application readiness in health-checked services.

Example 23

docker inspect --type=service myservice

This command inspects the Swarm service "myservice", providing replica count, update status, and endpoint details for service management.

Example 24

docker inspect --format '{{json .ExecIDs}}' execcont

This command lists exec instance IDs in "execcont", tracking attached sessions for multi-user debugging.

Example 25

docker inspect 1234567890ab

This command inspects a container by shortened ID "1234567890ab", for quick checks in console outputs from docker ps.

Example 26

docker inspect --size --format '{{.SizeRw}}' sizecont

This command displays the read-write layer size of "sizecont" with --size, assessing data growth in running containers.

Example 27

docker inspect --type=plugin --format '{{.Config.Interface.Types}}' netplugin

This command formats the interface types of the network plugin "netplugin", verifying plugin compatibility.

Example 28

docker inspect --format '{{.GraphDriver.Name}}' drivercont

This command shows the graph driver for "drivercont", diagnosing storage backend configurations.

Example 29

docker inspect --type=volume --format '{{.Mountpoint}}' datavol

This command extracts the host mountpoint of volume "datavol", for direct file access on the host.

Example 30

docker inspect --format '{{json .ResolvConfPath}}' resolvcont

This command outputs the resolv.conf path of "resolvcont" in JSON, verifying DNS configurations.