Docker Operations

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name: docker-operations description: Provides Docker container and image operations for creating, running, managing, and inspecting containers and images. Use for docker run, docker exec, docker ps, docker build, docker pull/push, docker images, docker start/stop/restart, docker logs, docker inspect, docker cp, docker commit, docker tag, docker save/load, docker buildx, docker compose, and any container or image management tasks.

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Docker Operations

This skill provides comprehensive Docker operations using the docker CLI. Ensure Docker is installed and configured on your system:

docker --version

When to Use

Creating, running, stopping, and managing containers

Building and pulling/pushing Docker images

Inspecting containers, images, and Docker objects

Copying files between containers and host

Managing Docker registries and image tags

Viewing logs and real-time container stats

Cleaning up unused Docker resources

When NOT to Use

Docker Swarm orchestration (use dedicated swarm tooling)

Kubernetes container management

Building Docker images with complex buildx bake files (see references/buildx.md)

Docker Compose multi-container applications (see references/compose.md)

Command Reference

Container Lifecycle

Create, start, stop, pause, and remove containers.

| Command | Description | Reference | |---------|-------------|-----------| | docker create | Create container without starting | references/container-lifecycle.md | | docker start | Start a container | references/container-lifecycle.md | | docker run | Create and start a container | references/container-lifecycle.md | | docker stop | Stop a running container | references/container-lifecycle.md | | docker restart | Restart a container | references/container-lifecycle.md | | docker pause | Pause container processes | references/container-lifecycle.md | | docker unpause | Resume paused processes | references/container-lifecycle.md | | docker rm | Remove a container | references/container-lifecycle.md |

Container Interaction

Execute commands, view logs, copy files, and monitor containers.

| Command | Description | Reference | |---------|-------------|-----------| | docker exec | Execute command in container | references/container-interaction.md | | docker attach | Attach to running container | references/container-interaction.md | | docker logs | View container logs | references/container-interaction.md | | docker top | Show running processes | references/container-interaction.md | | docker stats | Display resource usage | references/container-interaction.md | | docker cp | Copy files between host and container | references/container-interaction.md | | docker diff | Show filesystem changes | references/container-interaction.md |

Container Listing

List and filter Docker containers.

| Command | Description | Reference | |---------|-------------|-----------| | docker ps | List running containers | references/container-listing.md | | docker ps -a | List all containers | references/container-listing.md |

Image Operations

Pull, push, build, tag, save, load, and manage images.

| Command | Description | Reference | |---------|-------------|-----------| | docker images | List local images | references/image-operations.md | | docker pull | Pull image from registry | references/image-operations.md | | docker push | Push image to registry | references/image-operations.md | | docker build | Build image from Dockerfile | references/image-operations.md | | docker tag | Tag an image | references/image-operations.md | | docker save | Save image to tar | references/image-operations.md | | docker load | Load image from tar | references/image-operations.md | | docker export | Export container filesystem | references/image-operations.md | | docker import | Import tarball to image | references/image-operations.md | | docker history | Show image history | references/image-operations.md | | docker rmi | Remove an image | references/image-operations.md |

Image Inspection

Inspect Docker objects (containers, images, volumes, networks).

| Command | Description | Reference | |---------|-------------|-----------| | docker inspect | Return low-level info on containers, images, volumes, networks | references/image-inspection.md |

Registry Operations

Login, logout, and search Docker registries.

| Command | Description | Reference | |---------|-------------|-----------| | docker login | Login to registry | references/registry.md | | docker logout | Logout from registry | references/registry.md | | docker search | Search Docker Hub | references/registry.md |

System Information

Get Docker version, system info, and real-time events.

| Command | Description | Reference | |---------|-------------|-----------| | docker version | Show Docker version | references/system-info.md | | docker info | Display system info | references/system-info.md | | docker events | Get real-time events | references/system-info.md |

Cleanup Commands

Remove unused Docker resources.

| Command | Description | Reference | |---------|-------------|-----------| | docker container prune | Remove stopped containers | references/cleanup.md | | docker image prune | Remove unused images | references/cleanup.md | | docker volume prune | Remove unused volumes | references/cleanup.md | | docker network prune | Remove unused networks | references/cleanup.md | | docker system prune | Full system cleanup | references/cleanup.md |

Advanced Topics

For complex multi-platform builds and bake files, see references/buildx.md.

For Docker Compose operations and multi-container orchestration, see references/compose.md.

Advanced Image Operations

Extract image contents, analyze layers, and manipulate image filesystems.

| Operation | Description | Reference | |-----------|-------------|-----------| | Extract image to directory | Export image filesystem to local directory | references/advanced-image-operations.md | | Layer analysis | Inspect and extract specific image layers | references/advanced-image-operations.md | | Image filesystem comparison | Compare image contents between versions | references/advanced-image-operations.md |