Docker CLI & Docker Compose Cheat Sheet

Essential commands for managing containers, images, volumes, networks, and compose stacks

Container Lifecycle

Run container in backgroundRuns detached with port mapping

docker run -d --name my-app -p 8080:80 nginx:alpine

Run interactive container with cleanupRemoves container on exit

docker run --rm -it node:20-alpine sh

List active containersShows running containers and ports

docker ps

List all containers (including stopped)Includes exited containers

docker ps -a

Stop and kill containersSIGTERM graceful vs SIGKILL immediate

docker stop my-app
docker kill my-app

Execute command inside running containerOpen bash shell inside container

docker exec -it my-app /bin/bash

Build image with tagBuilds from Dockerfile in current dir

docker build -t my-org/my-app:1.0.0 .

Build with specific DockerfileSpecify custom build file

docker build -f Dockerfile.prod -t my-app:prod .

List local imagesShows repository, tag, and size

docker images

Remove imageDelete image from local cache

docker rmi my-app:1.0.0

Prune unused images and build cacheFrees disk space

docker image prune -a
docker builder prune

Follow live logsStream last 100 log lines

docker logs -f --tail 100 my-app

Inspect container JSON metadataDetailed IP, mounts, and env config

docker inspect my-app

View real-time resource statsLive CPU, memory, and I/O metrics

docker stats

Copy file into/out of containerExtract container files locally

docker cp my-app:/app/logs ./logs

Start stack in backgroundBuilds and starts all defined services

docker compose up -d

Stop and remove stackStops services and deletes named volumes

docker compose down -v

Rebuild and restart stackForces fresh container image build

docker compose up -d --build

View compose stack logsFilter live logs by service

docker compose logs -f service-name