--- title: "Docker commands" description: "Docker's CLI command description and usage" keywords: "Docker, Docker documentation, CLI, command line" identifier: "smn_cli_guide" --- # The Docker commands This section contains reference information on using Docker's command line client. Each command has a reference page along with samples. If you are unfamiliar with the command line, you should start by reading about how to [Use the Docker command line](cli.md). You start the Docker daemon with the command line. How you start the daemon affects your Docker containers. For that reason you should also make sure to read the [`dockerd`](dockerd.md) reference page. ## Commands by object ### Docker management commands | Command | Description | |:----------------------|:-----------------------------------------------------| | [dockerd](dockerd.md) | Launch the Docker daemon | | [info](info.md) | Display system-wide information | | [inspect](inspect.md) | Return low-level information on a container or image | | [version](version.md) | Show the Docker version information | ### Image commands | Command | Description | |:------------------------------|:----------------------------------------------------------------| | [build](build.md) | Build an image from a Dockerfile | | [commit](commit.md) | Create a new image from a container's changes | | [history](history.md) | Show the history of an image | | [images](images.md) | List images | | [import](import.md) | Import the contents from a tarball to create a filesystem image | | [load](load.md) | Load an image from a tar archive or STDIN | | [image prune](image_prune.md) | Remove unused images | | [rmi](rmi.md) | Remove one or more images | | [save](save.md) | Save images to a tar archive | | [tag](tag.md) | Tag an image into a repository | ### Container commands | Command | Description | |:--------------------------------------|:-----------------------------------------------------------------| | [attach](attach.md) | Attach to a running container | | [container prune](container_prune.md) | Remove all stopped containers | | [cp](cp.md) | Copy files/folders from a container to a HOSTDIR or to STDOUT | | [create](create.md) | Create a new container | | [diff](diff.md) | Inspect changes on a container's filesystem | | [events](events.md) | Get real time events from the server | | [exec](exec.md) | Execute a command in a running container | | [export](export.md) | Export a container's filesystem as a tar archive | | [kill](kill.md) | Kill a running container | | [logs](logs.md) | Fetch the logs of a container | | [pause](pause.md) | Pause all processes within a container | | [port](port.md) | List port mappings or a specific mapping for the container | | [ps](ps.md) | List containers | | [rename](rename.md) | Rename a container | | [restart](restart.md) | Restart a running container | | [rm](rm.md) | Remove one or more containers | | [run](run.md) | Create and run a new container from an image | | [start](start.md) | Start one or more stopped containers | | [stats](stats.md) | Display a live stream of container(s) resource usage statistics | | [stop](stop.md) | Stop a running container | | [top](top.md) | Display the running processes of a container | | [unpause](unpause.md) | Unpause all processes within a container | | [update](update.md) | Update configuration of one or more containers | | [wait](wait.md) | Block until a container stops, then print its exit code | ### Hub and registry commands | Command | Description | |:--------------------|:------------------------------------------------------------------------| | [login](login.md) | Log in to a registry | | [logout](logout.md) | Log out from a registry | | [pull](pull.md) | Download an image from a registry | | [push](push.md) | Upload an image to a registry | | [search](search.md) | Search Docker Hub for images | ### Network and connectivity commands | Command | Description | |:--------------------------------------------|:-------------------------------------------------------| | [network connect](network_connect.md) | Connect a container to a network | | [network create](network_create.md) | Create a new network | | [network disconnect](network_disconnect.md) | Disconnect a container from a network | | [network inspect](network_inspect.md) | Display information about a network | | [network ls](network_ls.md) | Lists all the networks the Engine `daemon` knows about | | [network prune](network_prune.md) | Remove all unused networks | | [network rm](network_rm.md) | Removes one or more networks | ### Shared data volume commands | Command | Description | |:------------------------------------|:-----------------------------------------------------------------| | [volume create](volume_create.md) | Creates a new volume where containers can consume and store data | | [volume inspect](volume_inspect.md) | Display information about a volume | | [volume ls](volume_ls.md) | Lists all the volumes Docker knows about | | [volume prune](volume_prune.md) | Remove all unused local volumes | | [volume rm](volume_rm.md) | Remove one or more volumes | ### Swarm node commands | Command | Description | |:--------------------------------|:--------------------------------------------------------------| | [node demote](node_demote.md) | Demotes an existing manager so that it is no longer a manager | | [node inspect](node_inspect.md) | Inspect a node in the swarm | | [node ls](node_ls.md) | List nodes in the swarm | | [node promote](node_promote.md) | Promote a node that is pending a promotion to manager | | [node ps](node_ps.md) | List tasks running on one or more nodes | | [node rm](node_rm.md) | Remove one or more nodes from the swarm | | [node update](node_update.md) | Update attributes for a node | ### Swarm management commands | Command | Description | |:----------------------------------------|:----------------------------------------------| | [swarm init](swarm_init.md) | Initialize a swarm | | [swarm join](swarm_join.md) | Join a swarm as a manager node or worker node | | [swarm leave](swarm_leave.md) | Remove the current node from the swarm | | [swarm join-token](swarm_join-token.md) | Display or rotate join tokens | | [swarm unlock](swarm_unlock.md) | Unlock swarm | | [swarm unlock-key](swarm_unlock-key.md) | Manage the unlock key | | [swarm update](swarm_update.md) | Update attributes of a swarm | ### Swarm service commands | Command | Description | |:--------------------------------------|:----------------------------------------------------------------| | [service create](service_create.md) | Create a new service | | [service inspect](service_inspect.md) | Inspect a service | | [service logs](service_logs.md) | Fetch the logs of a service or task | | [service ls](service_ls.md) | List services in the swarm | | [service ps](service_ps.md) | List the tasks of a service | | [service rm](service_rm.md) | Remove a service from the swarm | | [service scale](service_scale.md) | Set the number of replicas for the desired state of the service | | [service update](service_update.md) | Update the attributes of a service | ### Swarm secret commands | Command | Description | |:-------------------------------------|:------------------------------------------------| | [secret create](secret_create.md) | Create a secret from a file or STDIN as content | | [secret inspect](service_inspect.md) | Inspect the specified secret | | [secret ls](secret_ls.md) | List secrets in the swarm | | [secret rm](secret_rm.md) | Remove the specified secrets from the swarm | ### Swarm stack commands | Command | Description | |:------------------------------------|:-----------------------------------------------| | [stack deploy](stack_deploy.md) | Deploy a new stack or update an existing stack | | [stack ls](stack_ls.md) | List stacks in the swarm | | [stack ps](stack_ps.md) | List the tasks in the stack | | [stack rm](stack_rm.md) | Remove the stack from the swarm | | [stack services](stack_services.md) | List the services in the stack | ### Plugin commands | Command | Description | |:------------------------------------|:------------------------------------------------| | [plugin create](plugin_create.md) | Create a plugin from a rootfs and configuration | | [plugin disable](plugin_disable.md) | Disable a plugin | | [plugin enable](plugin_enable.md) | Enable a plugin | | [plugin inspect](plugin_inspect.md) | Display detailed information on a plugin | | [plugin install](plugin_install.md) | Install a plugin | | [plugin ls](plugin_ls.md) | List plugins | | [plugin push](plugin_push.md) | Push a plugin to a registry | | [plugin rm](plugin_rm.md) | Remove a plugin | | [plugin set](plugin_set.md) | Change settings for a plugin | ### Context commands | Command | Description | |:--------------------------------------|:-------------------------------| | [context create](context_create.md) | Create a context | | [context export](context_export.md) | Export a context | | [context import](context_import.md) | Import a context | | [context ls](context_ls.md) | List contexts | | [context rm](context_rm.md) | Remove one or more contexts | | [context update](context_update.md) | Update a context | | [context use](context_use.md) | Set the current docker context | | [context inspect](context_inspect.md) | Inspect one or more contexts |