Listing, Stopping, Removing

Updated September 2026 · Beginner-friendly guide

List running containers

docker ps shows active containers. Add -a to include stopped ones.

docker ps
docker ps -a

Stop sends a polite signal so the process can shut down. Start brings a stopped container back.

docker stop my-nginx
docker start my-nginx

A running container must be stopped first (or use -f to force). Removing deletes that instance, not the image.

docker stop my-nginx
docker rm my-nginx

Short IDs from docker ps work the same as names. Prefer names for practice so commands stay readable.

docker rm -f my-nginx

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