docker
Manage Docker containers, images, volumes, networks, and Compose stacks. Use when the user asks to build, run, stop, restart, remove, inspect, or debug containers; pull, push, tag, or delete images; manage volumes and networks; run docker compose services; view logs or resource usage; clean up unused objects; or troubleshoot container issues. Keywords: docker, container, image, dockerfile, compose, volume, network, registry, build, deploy.
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- Repository
- bug-ops/zeph
- Last source activity
- March 30, 2026 at 00:01
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- English
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- 65
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SKILL.md
Source instructions · Read-only preview- name
- docker
- category
- system
- description
- Manage Docker containers, images, volumes, networks, and Compose stacks. Use when the user asks to build, run, stop, restart, remove, inspect, or debug containers; pull, push, tag, or delete images; manage volumes and networks; run docker compose services; view logs or resource usage; clean up unused objects; or troubleshoot container issues. Keywords: docker, container, image, dockerfile, compose, volume, network, registry, build, deploy.
- license
- MIT
- compatibility
- Requires docker CLI (v20+). Docker Compose V2 integrated as `docker compose`.
- metadata
- {"author":"zeph","version":"1.0"}
# Docker Operations
## Container Lifecycle
### List containers
```bash
# Running containers
docker ps
# All containers (including stopped)
docker ps -a
# Quiet mode (IDs only)
docker ps -q
# Filter by status
docker ps -f "status=exited"
# Custom format
docker ps --format "table {{.ID}}\t{{.Names}}\t{{.Status}}\t{{.Ports}}"
```
### Create and run
```bash
# Run in foreground
docker run IMAGE
# Run detached with a name
docker run -d --name NAME IMAGE
# Run with port mapping (host:container)
docker run -d -p 8080:80 IMAGE
# Run with environment variables
docker run -d -e KEY=VALUE -e KEY2=VALUE2 IMAGE
# Run with env file
docker run -d --env-file .env IMAGE
# Run interactive shell
docker run -it IMAGE /bin/bash
# Run with auto-remove on exit
docker run --rm IMAGE
# Run with volume mount (bind mount)
docker run -d -v /host/path:/container/path IMAGE
# Run with named volume
docker run -d -v myvolume:/data IMAGE
# Run with read-only filesystem
docker run --read-only IMAGE
# Run with resource limits
docker run -d --memory=512m --cpus=1.5 IMAGE
# Run with restart policy
docker run -d --restart=unless-stopped IMAGE
# Run on a specific network
docker run -d --network=mynet IMAGE
# Run with health check
docker run -d \
--health-cmd="curl -f http://localhost/ || exit 1" \
--health-interval=30s \
--health-timeout=10s \
--health-retries=3 \
IMAGE
```
### Stop, start, restart, remove
```bash
# Stop gracefully (SIGTERM, then SIGKILL after timeout)
docker stop CONTAINER
# Stop with custom timeout (seconds)
docker stop -t 30 CONTAINER
# Start a stopped container
docker start CONTAINER
# Restart
docker restart CONTAINER
# Kill immediately (SIGKILL)
docker kill CONTAINER
# Remove stopped container
docker rm CONTAINER
# Force remove running container
docker rm -f CONTAINER
# Remove all stopped containers
docker container prune -f
```
### Execute commands in running containers
```bash
# Run command
docker exec CONTAINER COMMAND
# Interactive shell
docker exec -it CONTAINER /bin/bash
# Run as specific user
docker exec -u root CONTAINER COMMAND
# Set environment variable
docker exec -e VAR=value CONTAINER COMMAND
# Set working directory
docker exec -w /app CONTAINER COMMAND
```
## Logs and Inspection
### Logs
```bash
# View all logs
docker logs CONTAINER
# Follow log output (stream)
docker logs -f CONTAINER
# Show last N lines
docker logs --tail 100 CONTAINER
# Show logs since timestamp
docker logs --since 2h CONTAINER
# Show timestamps
docker logs -t CONTAINER
# Combine: last 50 lines + follow
docker logs --tail 50 -f CONTAINER
```
### Inspect and monitor
```bash
# Full container metadata (JSON)
docker inspect CONTAINER
# Extract specific field
docker inspect --format '{{.State.Status}}' CONTAINER
docker inspect --format '{{.NetworkSettings.IPAddress}}' CONTAINER
# Real-time resource usage
docker stats
# Stats for specific containers (no stream)
docker stats --no-stream CONTAINER1 CONTAINER2
# Running processes inside container
docker top CONTAINER
# Port mappings
docker port CONTAINER
# Filesystem changes since creation
docker diff CONTAINER
```
## Image Management
### Build
```bash
# Build from Dockerfile in current directory
docker build -t NAME:TAG .
# Build with specific Dockerfile
docker build -f Dockerfile.prod -t NAME:TAG .
# Build with build arguments
docker build --build-arg VERSION=1.0 -t NAME:TAG .
# Build without cache
docker build --no-cache -t NAME:TAG .
# Build with target stage (multi-stage)
docker build --target builder -t NAME:builder .
# Build with platform
docker build --platform linux/amd64 -t NAME:TAG .
```
### Pull, push, tag
```bash
# Pull image
docker pull IMAGE:TAG
# Pull specific platform
docker pull --platform linux/arm64 IMAGE:TAG
# Tag image
docker tag SOURCE:TAG TARGET:TAG
# Push to registry
docker push IMAGE:TAG
# Login to registry
docker login REGISTRY
# Logout
docker logout REGISTRY
```
### List and remove images
```bash
# List images
docker images
# List with filter
docker images --filter "dangling=true"
# Remove image
docker rmi IMAGE
# Force remove
docker rmi -f IMAGE
# Remove all dangling images
docker image prune -f
# Remove all unused images (not just dangling)
docker image prune -a -f
# Image layer history
docker history IMAGE
# Image disk usage
docker image ls --format "{{.Repository}}:{{.Tag}}\t{{.Size}}"
```
## Volumes
```bash
# Create named volume
docker volume create VOLUME_NAME
# List volumes
docker volume ls
# Inspect volume
docker volume inspect VOLUME_NAME
# Remove volume
docker volume rm VOLUME_NAME
# Remove all unused volumes
docker volume prune -f
# Copy files from container
docker cp CONTAINER:/path/to/file ./local/path
# Copy files to container
docker cp ./local/file CONTAINER:/path/to/dest
```
## Networking
```bash
# List networks
docker network ls
# Create network
docker network create NETWORK_NAME
# Create with driver
docker network create --driver bridge NETWORK_NAME
# Create with subnet
docker network create --subnet=172.20.0.0/16 NETWORK_NAME
# Inspect network
docker network inspect NETWORK_NAME
# Connect running container to network
docker network connect NETWORK_NAME CONTAINER
# Disconnect
docker network disconnect NETWORK_NAME CONTAINER
# Remove network
docker network rm NETWORK_NAME
# Remove all unused networks
docker network prune -f
```
## Docker Compose
Compose V2 is a subcommand of `docker` (not a separate `docker-compose` binary).
### Service lifecycle
```bash
# Start all services (detached)
docker compose up -d
# Start specific services
docker compose up -d SERVICE1 SERVICE2
# Start with build (rebuild images first)
docker compose up -d --build
# Start with forced recreation
docker compose up -d --force-recreate
# Start with custom compose file
docker compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml up -d
# Stop and remove containers, networks
docker compose down
# Stop and remove including volumes
docker compose down -v
# Stop and remove including images
docker compose down --rmi all
# Stop services without removing
docker compose stop
# Start stopped services
docker compose start
# Restart services
docker compose restart
# Restart a single service
docker compose restart SERVICE
```
### Build, logs, status
```bash
# Build or rebuild services
docker compose build
# Build without cache
docker compose build --no-cache
# Build a single service
docker compose build SERVICE
# View logs
docker compose logs
# Follow logs for specific service
docker compose logs -f SERVICE
# Last N lines
docker compose logs --tail 50 SERVICE
# List running services
docker compose ps
# List all services (including stopped)
docker compose ps -a
# Execute command in running service
docker compose exec SERVICE COMMAND
# Interactive shell
docker compose exec SERVICE /bin/bash
# Run one-off command (starts new container)
docker compose run --rm SERVICE COMMAND
# Scale service
docker compose up -d --scale SERVICE=3
# Pull latest images
docker compose pull
# View service configuration
docker compose config
```
## Cleanup and System
```bash
# Disk usage summary
docker system df
# Detailed disk usage
docker system df -v
# Remove all unused data (containers, networks, images, cache)
docker system prune -f
# Include volumes in prune
docker system prune --volumes -f
# Remove all unused data including all unused images
docker system prune -a -f
# Prune build cache
docker builder prune -f
# Prune build cache older than 24h
docker builder prune --filter "until=24h" -f
```
## Dockerfile Health Check
```dockerfile
HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=10s --start-period=5s --retries=3 \
CMD curl -f http://localhost:8080/health || exit 1
```
- `--interval`: Time between checks (default 30s)
- `--timeout`: Max time for a single check (default 30s)
- `--start-period`: Grace period during startup (default 0s)
- `--retries`: Consecutive failures to report unhealthy (default 3)
Check health status: `docker inspect --format '{{.State.Health.Status}}' CONTAINER`
## Troubleshooting Patterns
### Container will not start
```bash
# Check logs for crash reason
docker logs CONTAINER
# Check exit code
docker inspect --format '{{.State.ExitCode}}' CONTAINER
# Run interactively to debug
docker run -it --entrypoint /bin/sh IMAGE
```
### Out of disk space
```bash
# Check what is using space
docker system df -v
# Aggressive cleanup
docker system prune -a --volumes -f
```
### Network connectivity issues
```bash
# Check container network settings
docker inspect --format '{{json .NetworkSettings.Networks}}' CONTAINER
# Test connectivity from inside container
docker exec CONTAINER ping OTHER_HOST
# Check DNS resolution
docker exec CONTAINER nslookup SERVICE_NAME
```
### Performance: `docker stats --no-stream` and `docker inspect --format '{{.State.OOMKilled}}' CONTAINER`
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