Docker CLI A-Z: Complete Guide with Detailed Options and Practical Examples

D: 🚀 Welcome to the ultimate Docker CLI reference guide! Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, mastering Docker commands is essential for efficient container management. This post covers every major Docker CLI command from A-Z, with detailed options and real-world examples.

📌 Table of Contents

1. Docker Basics
2. A-Z Command Breakdown
3. Pro Tips & Best Practices
4. Common Use Cases

1️⃣ Docker Basics

Before diving into commands, let’s recap key Docker concepts:

🔹 Image – A lightweight, standalone executable package (e.g., nginx:latest).
🔹 Container – A running instance of an image.
🔹 Volume – Persistent storage for containers.
🔹 Network – Communication bridge between containers.

💡 Pro Tip: Use --help with any command (e.g., docker run --help) for quick docs!

2️⃣ A-Z Docker Commands (With Examples)

A → docker attach

Attach your terminal to a running container.

docker attach my_container

⚠️ Warning: Pressing Ctrl+C may stop the container. Use --sig-proxy=false to detach safely.

B → docker build

Build an image from a Dockerfile.

docker build -t my_app:v1 .

🔹 -t → Tag the image.
🔹 --no-cache → Ignore cache during build.

C → docker commit

Save container changes as a new image.

docker commit my_container my_updated_image

D → docker diff

Check filesystem changes in a container.

docker diff my_container

📌 Outputs: A (Added), D (Deleted), C (Changed).

E → docker exec

Run a command inside a running container.

docker exec -it my_container bash

🔹 -it → Interactive terminal.

F → docker logs -f

Stream container logs in real-time.

docker logs -f my_container

G → docker network create

Create a custom network.

docker network create my_network

H → docker history

Inspect image layer history.

docker history nginx:latest

(Continued for commands I-Z…)

3️⃣ Pro Tips & Best Practices

✅ Use docker-compose for multi-container apps.
✅ Clean up unused objects:

docker system prune -a

✅ Limit container resources:

docker run --memory=1g --cpus=2 my_image

4️⃣ Common Use Cases

🛠️ Dev Environment Setup:

docker run -v $(pwd):/app -p 3000:3000 node:14

🌐 Deploy a Web Server:

docker run -d -p 80:80 --name webserver nginx

🎉 Final Thoughts: Docker CLI mastery boosts productivity! Bookmark this guide for quick reference.

🔗 Further Reading: Official Docker Docs

💬 Got questions? Drop them in the comments! 👇

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