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Docker CLI

Manage and monitor your containers with Docker CLI tools
Download the Docker CLI cheat sheet

A command center for container management

The Docker command-line interface (Docker CLI) is a robust tool that empowers you to interact with Docker containers and manage different aspects of the container ecosystem directly from the command line. With the CLI, you can efficiently handle tasks such as creating, starting, stopping, and deleting containers, as well as managing container images, networks, and volumes. The Docker CLI provides a powerful and flexible option for managing containers and their resources.
Docker CLI documentation
CLI

Why use the CLI?

Accelerated control

The Docker CLI provides users with a convenient way to quickly manage containers from any terminal. The CLI lets you build images, manage images on Docker Hub, start and stop containers, and monitor container status from the command line. This powerful tool streamlines container management by providing a comprehensive set of commands that can be easily executed from a single interface.

Scriptability

The Docker CLI’s scriptability allows users to automate container management tasks, such as building, deploying, scaling containers, and scheduling tasks with cron. The Docker CLI’s scriptability also makes it easy to integrate with other automation tools and systems, enhancing its flexibility and utility for container management.

Headless operation

The Docker’s CLI allows for full control of the container environment, even when in a headless environment.

Manage Docker where you code

Manage your Docker containers directly from your code editor or IDE.

Docker CLI third-party add-ons

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Fig.io

Fig is a terminal add-on that can be customized, providing autocomplete and suggestions for more than 500 common CLI tools, including Docker’s CLI. With Fig, users can efficiently navigate the CLI and execute commands without needing to memorize every command or option.

Try Fig

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Dive

Dive breaks down the contents of your the Docker image layer by layer on the command line to show content information, total size of an image, how to reduce image size, and an overall “efficency” score for the image.

Try Dive

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Warp

Warp is a fast, Rust-based terminal that feels like a modern IDE and has AI built in. Warp gives you syntax highlighting and completions for Docker CLI out of the box.

Try Warp