deploy-nginx-docker-image

What is a Docker Container?

According to Docker.com, a container is a “lightweight, stand-alone, executable piece of a software package that includes everything needed to run it: code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, and settings.” A containers isolates software from its surroundings and is created from the images pulled from a Docker registry. For example, you can pull the nginx image and create as many containers from it as needed.

Docker Command Syntax

Deploy a Docker container using the following syntax:

docker run –name CONTAINER-NAME -p NETWORK_PORT:CONTAINER_PORT IMAGE NAME

It consists of:

• CONTAINER-NAME: The name you give the container.
• NETWORK_PORT: A port available to the network.
• CONTAINER_PORT: The port the container will listen on.
• IMAGE NAME: The name of the image to be used for the container.

Deploy a Container

This example will create an nginx container with port 80 exposed, using the official nginx image.

Navigate to your IP address to see the default nginx welcome message:

Confirm that the container is running:

docker ps -a

Deploy the container:

docker run --name docker-nginx -p 80:80 -d nginx

This will show the newly created ID for the container. Note that the -d, detach, option returns you to the prompt:

Update the original image with docker pull nginx command. Run docker image again to confirm the update:

Confirm the current, existing official image:

docker images

In this screenshot, the nginx image is 6 days old:

How to Stop and Delete Containers

Delete the container by using the rm command and the same container ID:

docker rm 285e9f66e38c

Stop the container by using the first few characters of the container ID (e468 in this example):

docker stop 285e9f66e38c