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Docker container lifecycle

docker container lifecycle Source: https://twitter.com/pierrecdn/status/620587662928424960

  • docker create command will create a new Docker container with the specified docker image.
       docker create --name <container name> <image name>
    
  • docker start command can be used to start a stopped container.
    docker start <container name>
    
  • docker run command does the work of both docker create and docker start command.
    docker run -it --name <container name> <image name>
    
  • docker pause command can be used to pause the processes running inside the container (a SIGSTOP signal will be sent to the main process).
    docker pause <container name>
    
  • docker unpause command allows to unpause the container.
       docker unpause <container name>
    
  • docker stop command can be used to stop all the processes running in the container: the main process inside the container receives a SIGTERM signal.
       docker stop <container name>
    
  • docker rm command is used to destroy a stopped container (with --force option you can destroy a running container, but it's better to stop it before)
    docker rm <container name>
    
  • docker kill command will kill all the processes in the container: the main process will be sent a SIGKILL or any signal specified with option –signal.
       docker kill <container name>  
    

Docker command syntax

Prior to version 1.13, Docker had only the previously mentioned command syntax. Later on, the command-line was restructured to have the following syntax:

docker <object> <command> <options>

In this syntax:

  • object indicates the type of Docker object you'll be manipulating. This can be a container, image, network or volume object.
  • command indicates the task to be carried out by the daemon, that is the run command.
  • options can be any valid parameter that can override the default behavior of the command, like the --publish option for port mapping.

The commands in the previous sections can be re-written as docker container <command>, e.g. docker container create or docker container run.

To learn more about the available commands, visit the official documentation.