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Docker CLI

Docker Inc.

Build, run, and manage containerized applications and images.

Containers & OrchestrationJSON
01Install
brew install docker
Download binary →

02Agent Notes

Docker CLI uses `docker <object> <verb>` pattern: `docker container ls`, `docker image build`. Short forms exist: `docker ps` = `docker container ls`, `docker build` = `docker image build`. For JSON output, use `--format '{{json .}}'` on most commands, or `docker inspect` which outputs JSON by default. Key commands: build, run, ps, images, pull, push, exec, logs, compose. `docker compose` (v2, no hyphen) replaces the older `docker-compose` command. Use `--quiet` or `-q` to get only IDs, useful for scripting: `docker ps -q`.


03Help Output
Usage: docker [OPTIONS] COMMAND A self-sufficient runtime for containers Common Commands: run Create and run a new container from an image exec Execute a command in a running container ps List containers build Build an image from a Dockerfile bake Build from a file pull Download an image from a registry push Upload an image to a registry images List images login Authenticate to a registry logout Log out from a registry search Search Docker Hub for images version Show the Docker version information info Display system-wide information Management Commands: ai* Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon builder Manage builds buildx* Docker Buildx cloud* Docker Cloud compose* Docker Compose container Manage containers context Manage contexts debug* Get a shell into any image or container desktop* Docker Desktop commands extension* Manages Docker extensions image Manage images init* Creates Docker-related starter files for your project manifest Manage Docker image manifests and manifest lists mcp* Docker MCP Plugin model* Docker Model Runner network Manage networks plugin Manage plugins sbom* View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image scout* Docker Scout system Manage Docker trust Manage trust on Docker images volume Manage volumes Swarm Commands: swarm Manage Swarm 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 events Get real time events from the server export Export a container's filesystem as a tar archive history Show the history of an image import Import the contents from a tarball to create a filesystem image inspect Return low-level information on Docker objects kill Kill one or more running containers load Load an image from a tar archive or STDIN logs Fetch the logs of a container pause Pause all processes within one or more containers port List port mappings or a specific mapping for the container rename Rename a container restart Restart one or more containers rm Remove one or more containers rmi Remove one or more images save Save one or more images to a tar archive (streamed to STDOUT by default) 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 tag Create a tag TARGET_IMAGE that refers to SOURCE_IMAGE 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 Invalid Plugins: dev failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /Users/mark/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-dev: no such file or directory feedback failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /Users/mark/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-feedback: no such file or directory Global Options: --config string Location of client config files (default "/Users/mark/.docker") -c, --context string Name of the context to use to connect to the daemon (overrides DOCKER_HOST env var and default context set with "docker context use") -D, --debug Enable debug mode -H, --host string Daemon socket to connect to -l, --log-level string Set the logging level ("debug", "info", "warn", "error", "fatal") (default "info") --tls Use TLS; implied by --tlsverify --tlscacert string Trust certs signed only by this CA (default "/Users/mark/.docker/ca.pem") --tlscert string Path to TLS certificate file (default "/Users/mark/.docker/cert.pem") --tlskey string Path to TLS key file (default "/Users/mark/.docker/key.pem") --tlsverify Use TLS and verify the remote -v, --version Print version information and quit Run 'docker COMMAND --help' for more information on a command. For more help on how to use Docker, head to https://docs.docker.com/go/guides/

04Global Flags
FlagTypeDescription
--contextstringDocker context to use
--hoststringDocker daemon socket to connect to
--log-levelenum [debug, info, warn, error, fatal]Logging level

05Authentication
Methods
config-filecredential-helperenvironment-variables
Env vars
DOCKER_HOSTDOCKER_CONFIGDOCKER_CONTEXT
Config files
~/.docker/config.json
Setupdocker login

06Capabilities
Reference
binarydocker
checkdocker --version
authconfig-file, credential-helper, environment-variables
formatstable, json, template
json flag--format '{{json .}}'
version29.3.0