4. Container Lifecycle
Create, start, inspect, stop, and remove a container.
Run a Web Server
docker run -d --name docker-course-web -p 127.0.0.1:8080:80 nginx:alpine
docker ps
docker logs docker-course-web
Open http://localhost:8080. The -d option starts the container in the background; it does not keep an application alive after its main process exits.
Lifecycle Commands
docker stop docker-course-web
docker ps -a
docker start docker-course-web
docker exec docker-course-web nginx -t
docker inspect docker-course-web
Stopping a container preserves its writable layer. Starting it again reuses that same container. Creating another container from the image produces a separate writable layer.
Cleanup
docker stop docker-course-web
docker rm docker-course-web
These commands remove only the named practice container.
Common Mistakes
- Treating an exited container as a deleted container.
- Running a short-lived command and expecting the container to stay running.
- Using
execon a stopped container.
Practice
Compare the container ID before and after stop and start. It should remain the same.
Quick Interview Answer
A container lives as long as its main process. Stop and start reuse an existing container; run creates a new one.
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