Docker Debugging a container Entering in a running container

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Example

To execute operations in a container, use the docker exec command. Sometimes this is called "entering the container" as all commands are executed inside the container.

docker exec -it container_id bash

or

docker exec -it container_id /bin/sh

And now you have a shell in your running container. For example, list files in a directory and then leave the container:

docker exec container_id ls -la

You can use the -u flag to enter the container with a specific user, e.g. uid=1013, gid=1023.

docker exec -it -u 1013:1023 container_id ls -la

The uid and gid does not have to exist in the container but the command can result in errors.If you want to launch a container and immediately enter inside in order to check something, you can do

docker run...; docker exec -it $(docker ps -lq) bash

the command docker ps -lq outputs only the id of the last (the l in -lq) container started. (this supposes you have bash as interpreter available in your container, you may have sh or zsh or any other)



Got any Docker Question?