Docker Commands Cheat Sheet: Images, Containers, Compose, and Cleanup

# Search for images
docker search nginx
docker search ubuntu

# Pull images
docker pull nginx
docker pull nginx:alpine
docker pull ubuntu:24.04

# List images
docker images
docker image ls

# Remove images
docker rmi nginx
docker rmi nginx:alpine
docker image rm ubuntu:24.04

# Clean up unused images
docker image prune     # Remove dangling images
docker image prune -a  # Remove all images not used by any container

# Basic run
docker run nginx
docker run -d nginx                    # Run in the background (detached)
docker run -it ubuntu bash             # Interactive mode
docker run --rm -it ubuntu bash        # Remove the container automatically on exit

# Port mapping
docker run -d -p 8080:80 nginx         # Map host port 8080 to container port 80
docker run -d -p 127.0.0.1:8080:80 nginx  # Bind to localhost only

# Bind-mount directories
docker run -d -v /host/path:/container/path nginx
docker run -d -v $(pwd):/app node      # Mount the current directory

# Environment variables
docker run -d -e ENV_VAR=value nginx
docker run -d --env-file .env nginx

# Name the container
docker run -d --name my-nginx nginx

# List containers
docker ps                              # Running containers
docker ps -a                           # All containers
docker container ls

# Stop containers
docker stop container_id
docker stop my-nginx
docker kill container_id               # Force stop

# Start a stopped container
docker start container_id
docker restart container_id

# Remove containers
docker rm container_id
docker rm my-nginx
docker rm -f container_id              # Force-remove a running container

# Clean up stopped containers
docker container prune

# Open a shell in a running container
docker exec -it container_id bash
docker exec -it my-nginx sh

# View container logs
docker logs container_id
docker logs -f container_id             # Follow logs in real time
docker logs --tail 100 container_id     # Show the last 100 lines

# Inspect containers
docker inspect container_id
docker stats container_id               # Live resource usage
docker top container_id                 # Processes inside the container

# Copy files
docker cp file.txt container_id:/path/  # Copy into the container
docker cp container_id:/path/file.txt . # Copy out of the container

# Show filesystem changes in the container
docker diff container_id

# Start services
docker compose up
docker compose up -d                    # Run in the background
docker compose up --build               # Rebuild images

# Stop services
docker compose down
docker compose down -v                  # Also remove volumes
docker compose stop

# Check service status
docker compose ps
docker compose logs
docker compose logs -f service_name     # Follow logs for one service

# Run commands
docker compose exec service_name bash
docker compose run service_name command

# Restart services
docker compose restart
docker compose restart service_name

services:
  web:
    image: nginx:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - ./html:/usr/share/nginx/html
    
  db:
    image: mysql:8.4
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: password
      MYSQL_DATABASE: myapp
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql

volumes:
  db_data:

# Node.js application example
FROM node:24-alpine

WORKDIR /app

COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm ci --omit=dev

COPY . .

EXPOSE 3000

USER node

CMD ["npm", "start"]

# Build an image
docker build -t my-app .
docker build -t my-app:v1.0 .
docker build -f Dockerfile.prod -t my-app:prod .

# Multi-stage build
docker build --target production -t my-app:prod .

# Pass build arguments
docker build --build-arg NODE_ENV=production -t my-app .

# Show image build history
docker history my-app

# List networks
docker network ls

# Create networks
docker network create my-network
docker network create --driver bridge my-bridge

# Connect a container to a network
docker network connect my-network container_id

# Disconnect a container from a network
docker network disconnect my-network container_id

# Inspect a network
docker network inspect my-network

# Remove a network
docker network rm my-network

# Clean up unused networks
docker network prune

# List volumes
docker volume ls

# Create a volume
docker volume create my-volume

# Inspect a volume
docker volume inspect my-volume

# Use a volume
docker run -d -v my-volume:/data nginx

# Remove a volume
docker volume rm my-volume

# Clean up unused anonymous volumes (Docker 23+ needs -a to include named volumes)
docker volume prune

# Back up a volume
docker run --rm -v my-volume:/data -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu tar czf /backup/backup.tar.gz -C /data .

# Restore a volume
docker run --rm -v my-volume:/data -v $(pwd):/backup ubuntu tar xzf /backup/backup.tar.gz -C /data

# Show Docker disk usage
docker system df

# Clean up unused resources
docker system prune                     # Stopped containers, unused networks, dangling images, and build cache
docker system prune -a                  # Also unused images
docker system prune -a --volumes        # Also unused anonymous volumes

# Clean up by resource type
docker container prune                  # Stopped containers
docker image prune                      # Dangling images
docker image prune -a                   # All unused images
docker network prune                    # Unused networks
docker volume prune                     # Unused anonymous volumes

# Force-remove all containers
docker rm -f $(docker ps -aq)

# Remove all images
docker rmi -f $(docker images -q)

# Log in to a registry
docker login
docker login registry.example.com
echo "$REGISTRY_PASSWORD" | docker login -u username --password-stdin registry.example.com  # Keeps the password out of shell history and the process list

# Tag images
docker tag my-app:latest registry.example.com/my-app:latest
docker tag my-app:latest harbor.company.com/project/my-app:v1.0

# Push images
docker push registry.example.com/my-app:latest
docker push harbor.company.com/project/my-app:v1.0

# Pull from a private registry
docker pull harbor.company.com/project/my-app:v1.0

# Log out
docker logout
docker logout registry.example.com