Getting Started with Docker: Basic Commands You Need to Know!

If you're new to Docker or just starting to explore containerization, mastering a few basic commands is the first step toward becoming a Docker pro!

Docker simplifies deployment of applications by running container.

Here are some simple Docker commands to help you get started:

Installation of Docker on Linux Server

$ sudo apt-get install docker.io

Find out which version of Docker is installed on your machine

$ docker –version

To check the status of Docker service

$ service docker status

To stop Docker service

$ service docker stop

To start Docker service

$ service docker start

To see all the images in Docker locally

$ docker images

To pull image from Docker hub

$docker pull <img-name>:<img-tag>

To remove a Docker Image from your local repo

$ docker image rm <img-name or img-id>

Or

$ docker rmi <img-name or img-id>

To run a container in interactive mode

$ docker run -it –-name <cont-name or cont-id> <img-name or img-id>

To list the running Containers

$ docker ps

To list All Containers (including stopped ones)

$ docker ps -a

To stop a running Container

$ docker stop <cont-name or cont-id>

To start a Container

$ docker start <cont-name or cont-id>

To remove a running Container

$ docker rm <cont-name or cont-id>

Note: It is important to stop a container before removing.

To remove all images at once

$ docker rmi $(docker images -q)

Here, $(docker images -q) will list the IDs of all the Docker images

and $ docker rmi will remove images based on the IDs passed to it.

To remove all containers at once

$ docker rm $(docker ps -aq)

Here, $(docker ps -aq) will list the IDs of all the Docker containers

and $ docker rm will remove the containers based on the IDs passed to it.

To view Logs from a Container

$ docker logs <cont-name or cont-id>

To go inside the container (container’s main process)

$ docker attach <cont-name or cont-id>

To execute command inside the running container

$ docker exec -it <cont-name or cont-id> /bin/bash

To exit a container

$ exit

By getting familiar with these basic commands, you're on your way to mastering Docker and containerized workflows.