The goal is build our very own custom Docker container image. And it will be from scratch, bare bones, with an empty Dockerfile, and we will create, build, and run our very own custom Docker Image.

By doing so, My goal is to introduce you to some commands when building and maintaining images with Docker.

But first let’s understand:

  • What is Docker?
  • What is a Container?
  • What is an Image?

Install Docker

To install docker, see Install Guide

  1. What is a Container? A Docker container is like a special box that contains everything a computer program needs to run, so it can work the same way on any computer. It’s like a portable play-kit for software.

  2. What is an Image? A Docker image is like a recipe or blueprint for a Docker container, telling it what to include and how it should behave. It’s like having instructions for building a specific lego set.

Docker commands

build image

docker build

build image with tag

docker build -t hello-web

list docker images

docker images

list docker containers

docker ps

list docker containers including stopped

docker ps -a

create container from image

docker run -d -p 80:80 <image id>

exec into running container

docker exec -it <container id> /bin/sh

stop running container

docker stop <container id>

remove a container

docker rm <container id>

remove an image

docker rmi <image id>