The docker exec
command serves for executing commands in running Docker containers.
With this command it is also possible to enter a running Docker container and start a bash
session.
In this post i am showing how to enter a Docker container and execute an interactive bash
shell inside it.
Cool Tip: Copying files and folders between host and Docker-containers! Read More →
How To Enter A Docker Container
Find out a container’s name or ID with the docker ps
command:
$ docker ps CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND CREATED STATUS PORTS NAMES 72ca2488b353 my_image X hours ago Up X hours my_container
Enter a Docker container by name or ID and start a bash
shell:
$ docker exec -it 72ca2488b353 bash
If the bash
shell is not found, you will get the message as follows:
oci runtime error: exec failed: container_linux.go:265: starting container process caused “exec: \”bash\”: executable file not found in $PATH”
In this case you can enter a Docker container and start a simple sh
shell:
$ docker exec -it 72ca2488b353 sh
To enter a Docker container we use the following options:
Option | Description |
---|---|
-i , --interactive |
Keep STDIN open even if not attached |
-t , --tty |
Allocate a pseudo-TTY |
Thank you very much, simple and helpful
Thank you so much!