This article is for showing how to list docker container. The main purpose is to show all available docker container in the operating system. It can be a running container or a container which in not running at all. The following are the steps to achieve it :
1. Obviously, the most important thing is having an installation of the docker tool in the operating system. For the information on installing docker, read the following article with the title of ‘How to Install Docker in Linux Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver’ in this link.
2. Make sure that the execution of the docker tool is a success. Type the command ‘docker’ in the command line as follows :
user@hostname:~$ docker
Usage: docker [OPTIONS] COMMAND
A self-sufficient runtime for containers
Options:
--config string Location of client config files (default "/home/user/.docker")
-D, --debug Enable debug mode
-H, --host list Daemon socket(s) to connect to
-l, --log-level string Set the logging level ("debug"|"info"|"warn"|"error"|"fatal") (default "info")
--tls Use TLS; implied by --tlsverify
--tlscacert string Trust certs signed only by this CA (default "/home/user/.docker/ca.pem")
--tlscert string Path to TLS certificate file (default "/home/user/.docker/cert.pem")
--tlskey string Path to TLS key file (default "/home/user/.docker/key.pem")
--tlsverify Use TLS and verify the remote
-v, --version Print version information and quit
Management Commands:
builder Manage builds
config Manage Docker configs
container Manage containers
engine Manage the docker engine
image Manage images
network Manage networks
node Manage Swarm nodes
plugin Manage plugins
secret Manage Docker secrets
service Manage services
stack Manage Docker stacks
swarm Manage Swarm
system Manage Docker
trust Manage trust on Docker images
volume Manage volumes
Commands:
attach Attach local standard input, output, and error streams to a running container
build Build an image from a Dockerfile
commit Create a new image from a container's changes
cp Copy files/folders between a container and the local filesystem
create Create a new container
deploy Deploy a new stack or update an existing stack
diff Inspect changes to files or directories on a container's filesystem
events Get real time events from the server
exec Run a command in a running container
export Export a container's filesystem as a tar archive
history Show the history of an image
images List images
import Import the contents from a tarball to create a filesystem image
info Display system-wide information
inspect Return low-level information on Docker objects
kill Kill one or more running containers
load Load an image from a tar archive or STDIN
login Log in to a Docker registry
logout Log out from a Docker registry
logs Fetch the logs of a container
pause Pause all processes within one or more containers
port List port mappings or a specific mapping for the container
ps List containers
pull Pull an image or a repository from a registry
push Push an image or a repository to a registry
rename Rename a container
restart Restart one or more containers
rm Remove one or more containers
rmi Remove one or more images
run Run a command in a new container
save Save one or more images to a tar archive (streamed to STDOUT by default)
search Search the Docker Hub for images
start Start one or more stopped containers
stats Display a live stream of container(s) resource usage statistics
stop Stop one or more running containers
tag Create a tag TARGET_IMAGE that refers to SOURCE_IMAGE
top Display the running processes of a container
unpause Unpause all processes within one or more containers
update Update configuration of one or more containers
version Show the Docker version information
wait Block until one or more containers stop, then print their exit codes
Run 'docker COMMAND --help' for more information on a command.
user@hostname:~$
It can be run as a normal user or as a root or super user account of the operating system.
3. Last but not least, type the ‘docker’ command with the additional parameter for listing all the available container as follows :
docker ps -a
The execution of the above command will have the following output and don’t forget o run it as ‘root’ or super admin account. If it is running as a normal account it will generate an error as exist in an article in the following link. It is an article with the title of ‘How to solve error message Got permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket’. The following is the output of the ‘docker ps -a’ command running as a ‘root’ or super user account :
root@hostname:~# docker ps -a CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND CREATED STATUS PORTS NAMES 0b4fc76de6c2 app "php index.php" 2 days ago Exited (0) 2 days ago test cd9384edb3d3 app "php index.php" 2 days ago Exited (0) 2 days ago app 78a60b523b4d 24d1a55b737d "/bin/sh -c 'apt-get…" 3 days ago Exited (100) 3 days ago xxxxxxx_xxxxxx root@hostname:~#