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Basic Docker Commands (CLI)

This article explains how to use essential Docker commands

General usage of Docker

Docker can be used in two primary ways: through the Command Line Interface (CLI) or via Docker Desktop, a graphical user interface application available for Windows and Mac. While Docker Desktop offers an easy-to-install and user-friendly graphical environment to manage containers, images, and settings, most Docker users find the CLI to be the more straightforward and flexible way to work with Docker on a daily basis. The CLI allows quick command execution, automation, and greater control, which is especially helpful when deploying complex multi-container applications like zapAnalytics using Docker Compose.

Note: Docker CLI is included in Docker Desktop.

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Basic Docker CLI Commands

Docker is accessible via the docker and docker compose CLI commands. You can open your terminal (Linux/Mac) or command line (cmd in Windows) and type Docker commands directly. Here are the most important commands when using Docker:

Command Description Example
docker --version Shows Docker version docker --version
docker pull <image> Download a Docker image from Docker Hub docker pull zapliance/zapAnalytics:latest
docker images Lists all downloaded/local images docker images
docker ps -a List all containers (running and stopped) docker ps -a
docker rm <container_id> Remove a container docker rm 123abc
docker rmi <image_id> Remove an image docker rmi zapliance/zapAnalytics:latest
docker logs <container_id> View container logs docker logs 123abc

Common Docker Compose Commands

docker compose is a tool for defining and managing multi-container Docker applications with a YAML file (docker-compose.yml). It simplifies running linked containers with a single command.

Command Description
docker compose up Build, (re)create, start containers defined in docker-compose.yml
docker compose up -d Same as above, but runs containers in detached mode (background)
docker compose down Stop and remove containers, networks created by up

Quick Start to Run zapliance Docker Images

zapliance will provide a docker-compose.yml file with default configuration during the onboarding. You can then use basic Docker commands to run it.

First, open the command line and navigate to the folder where the docker-compose.yml file has been placed:

    • Change directory in command line (example, please choose the appropriate directory): cd D:/zapAnalytics/

    • Startup the container: docker compose up -d

    • After 10-30 seconds you should be able to access the start page in the web browser

    • Check running docker container state: docker ps -a

    • Stop container: docker compose down

    • Remove image: docker rmi <image_name>

    • Add -f to force removal docker rmi -f <image_name>

Update a Docker Image

To update a Docker container, follow these steps:

  1. Edit your docker-compose.yml

    Change the image tag to the desired version, for example:

    services:
      zapanalytics:
        image: zapliance/zapanalyticsplatform:1.4.0
        container_name: application_zapanalytics
        restart: always

    ...

    You can also use latest as the tag if you want the newest version.

  2. Stop and remove old containers and images 

      • docker compose down
      • docker rmi -f zapliance/zapanalyticsplatform:<version>

    Replace <version> with the current tag (e.g., 1.4.0 or latest).

  3. Start the updated container

  • docker compose up -d
The container will now run the updated image version.

Resources for Further Learning