explaingit

wsargent/docker-cheat-sheet

★ 22,520Audience · developerComplexity · 1/5StaleLicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

A quick-reference guide to Docker commands and concepts for building, running, and managing containerized applications.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Docker Cheat Sheet))
    What it covers
      Container commands
      Image building
      Networking and volumes
      Docker Compose
    Key concepts
      Containers
      Images
      Ports and storage
      Best practices
    Use cases
      Learning Docker
      Command lookup
      Daily reference
    Audience
      Developers
      DevOps engineers
      System admins

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Look up Docker command syntax when you need to start, stop, or inspect containers without searching official docs.

USE CASE 2

Learn how to write a Dockerfile and build container images for your applications.

USE CASE 3

Set up multi-container applications using Docker Compose with networking and persistent storage.

USE CASE 4

Understand Docker best practices and security basics for containerizing applications.

Tech stack

DockerDocker ComposeLinuxmacOSWindows

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

This repository is a reference guide, a cheat sheet, for Docker, a tool that lets developers package applications into self-contained units called containers. A container holds everything an application needs to run (code, libraries, settings) so it behaves the same way on any computer, whether that is a developer's laptop, a test server, or a production machine in the cloud. The cheat sheet compiles the most commonly used Docker commands and concepts in one place: how to create and manage containers, how to build container images, how to connect containers over networks, how to attach persistent storage (called volumes), how to expose network ports so apps are reachable, and how to set up multi-container applications using Docker Compose. It also covers best practices and basic security guidance. You would use this resource when you are learning Docker and need a quick reference, or when you are working with Docker regularly and want to look up the exact command syntax without digging through official documentation. It is particularly useful for developers, sysadmins, and DevOps engineers who need a fast lookup for everyday tasks like starting containers, checking what is running, pulling images from Docker Hub, or writing a Dockerfile. The guide covers installation on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and includes practical command examples throughout.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to use the commands in this Docker cheat sheet to build an image from a Dockerfile and run it as a container.
Prompt 2
I need to set up two containers that talk to each other over a network. What Docker commands from this cheat sheet should I use?
Prompt 3
How do I use Docker volumes to persist data between container restarts, based on the examples in this guide?
Prompt 4
Walk me through the Docker Compose syntax from this cheat sheet to define and run a multi-container app.
Prompt 5
What are the key Docker best practices mentioned in this cheat sheet for production use?
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