How to take actions on multiple docker containers at once

∟⊔⊤∦∣≶@lemmy.nz to Linux@lemmy.ml – 25 points –

Again, please tell me if there is a better way to do this.

While testing docker, frequently I need to start/stop/rm containers. I got real sick of having to ls them and copy paste the container ID.

Using this alias, I just have to remember a single part of the name of the container, and I will get the container IDs that can then be included as part of another command:

$ alias dcl='_dcl(){ docker container ls -aq -f name="$1";}; _dcl'

$ dcl snikket
b3fcbc808cc9
1947885fbb24
054d67d2e8b9
d8fe9df5f61f

So now that I'm getting a list of IDs, I can easily, for example, pause all of them:

$ docker container pause $( dcl snikket )
Error response from daemon: container  is not running
Error response from daemon: container  is not running
Error response from daemon: container  is not running
Error response from daemon: container  is not running

The containers weren't actually running, but this shows the alias working.

dcl obviously stands for 'docker container ls'

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If the containers are related you could use docker-compose, which has commands to stop / restart/ remove all containers at once.

I use Compose even when I have a single container to run because I can put all the config bits I need into a file and can then do most of the work without remembering lots of command line options and often without even needing to mention the service name directly.

Same. I can't remember the last time I started a docker container without a compose file.

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Cool, didn't know that!

Just tested, so you have to cd to the directory with the docker-compose.yml file in it first

you can also use the -f option to specify the compose file without going to it.

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