How do you list running containers?

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The `docker ps` command is the primary tool for listing Docker containers. Without any flags, it displays only running containers, showing essential information such as container ID, image used, command being executed, creation time, current status, port mappings, and container name. For debugging or auditing purposes, you can expand this view to include stopped containers or format the output for scripting. # List only running containers
docker ps

# List all containers (including stopped ones)
docker ps -a

# Show the last created container (running or stopped)
docker ps -l

# Show only container IDs (useful for scripting)
docker ps -q

# Show all containers with more details
# Displays size, labels, networks, and more
docker ps -a --size

# Filter containers by status
docker ps --filter "status=exited"
docker ps --filter "status=running"

# Filter by container name
docker ps --filter "name=web"

# Format output as JSON
docker ps --format "json"

# Custom format with specific fields
docker ps --format "table {{.Names}}	{{.Status}}	{{.Ports}}" The `-a` or `--all` flag is crucial when you need to see stopped containers, which are not shown by default. Stopped containers consume disk space and can accumulate over time. The `-q` flag returns only numeric container IDs, which pairs well with other commands like `docker stop $(docker ps -q)` to stop all running containers, or `docker rm $(docker ps -a -q)` to clean up all stopped containers. Docker's filtering capability (`--filter`) allows you to narrow results by various criteria: `status` (running, exited, paused), `name`, `label`, `network`, or `exited` code. For example, `docker ps --filter "exited=1"` shows containers that exited with error code 1. You can combine multiple filters to refine results further. `docker ps` - Quick check of what's currently running `docker ps -a` - See all containers, including stopped ones (disk usage) `docker ps -a --size` - Check disk space consumed by containers `docker ps -q` - Get IDs for scripting (e.g., `docker stop $(docker ps -q)`) `docker ps --filter "name=postgres"` - Find containers related to a specific service `docker ps --format "table {{.Names}}	{{.Image}}"` - Clean output for monitoring dashboards The output columns include: CONTAINER ID (shortened unique identifier), IMAGE (image name:tag), COMMAND (command being executed), CREATED (time since creation), STATUS (running, exited, etc.), PORTS (port mappings), and NAMES (container names). The STATUS column is particularly useful for understanding container health—`Up 2 minutes` indicates healthy operation, while `Exited (1) 3 hours ago` shows a failure with the exit code.

How do you list running containers?

You list running containers using the `docker ps` command, which shows all active containers with their IDs, names, images, status, and port mappings.

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Follow-up Questions

How do you list running containers?

You list running containers using the docker ps command, which shows all active containers with their IDs, names, images, status, and port mappings.

Scenario Questions

Follow-up Questions

You list running containers using the `docker ps` command, which shows all active containers with their IDs, names, images, status, and port mappings.