Docker Cheatsheet

THE PRACTICAL GUIDE · NORMANDIN SYSTEMS

Get more from Docker Cheatsheet

Docker Cheatsheet is a quick reference for common image, container, and resource-management commands. Images are templates, containers are instances, and volumes can hold data outside a container's writable layer. Keeping those concepts separate helps explain why stopping a container, removing a container, and removing an image are different operations. A cheatsheet works best as a memory aid while you practice a concrete task. Read the command or syntax together with its arguments, placeholders, and surrounding context. Similar-looking options can have very different meanings, and an example written for one platform or version may need adjustment elsewhere. Keep the reference beside a small test case, use read-only examples first when possible, and check the relevant help output before applying an unfamiliar command to valuable files or a running service.

Guide updated October 13, 2026

How to use this tool

1. Identify the operation you want to perform and find the matching section of the reference. Read the whole example before copying any part of it.
2. Identify the resource type involved and begin with an inspection command before using an operation that changes it.
3. Review the example below and compare its expected behavior with a small sample of your own input before continuing.
4. Try the adapted example on a small test case, compare the result with the explanation, and save the command with a note about the context in which it works.

SEE IT IN PRACTICE

A worked example

docker ps

A listing of currently running containers

The default listing focuses on running containers; additional options change which containers and fields are shown.

Images, containers, and persistent storage

An image is the template used to create a container, while a container has its own lifecycle and writable state. Volumes and bind mounts can keep data outside that writable layer. Removing one kind of resource is not equivalent to removing another, so identify the resource type before adapting a cleanup command. Inspect named targets and understand whether they are shared. A command that removes an unused-looking volume can still discard data needed for a later recreation of a service.

Context and identifiers prevent wrong-target operations

Docker can communicate with different local or remote environments through contexts and connection settings. Confirm which environment a command will affect before using an id copied from an earlier session. Names are easier to read than long ids but can be reused, so inspect the target's image, creation context, and mounts when the consequences matter. Start with listing and inspection commands. The cheatsheet is most useful when it helps answer a specific resource question rather than encouraging broad cleanup by trial and error.

When this tool is useful

• Review container lifecycle commands
• Distinguish images from containers
• Find a read-only inspection command during troubleshooting

Tips for a better result

• Confirm the intended Docker context and resource names, then inspect the exact target before changing it.
• Replace example paths, identifiers, and names deliberately. Copying a reference command unchanged can target a different file, branch, service, or environment from the one you intended.
• Keep the source and the settings used for this result together. That makes a later comparison or correction easier, especially when another person needs to reproduce the same outcome.

Frequently asked questions