delete all docker images

This article offers a concise guide on erasing all Docker images from your system with a simple set of commands.

Docker, an influential platform used for developing, delivering, and operating software, often leaves several unused or unnecessary images, occupying valuable storage space. You may find it necessary to delete these images at times to free up space or declutter your system.

Steps to Delete All Docker Images:

These are simple, step by step instructions on how to delete all Docker images.

Step 1: List All Docker Images

Before clearing out Docker images, it’s good practice to see what’s available. This is simply executed by issuing the command:

docker images -a

This command lists all Docker images stored on your system.

Step 2: Delete All Docker Images

To delete all Docker images, you can use the docker rmi command together with docker images -a -q that will list all Docker image IDs.

So, to delete all Docker images, use the following command:

docker rmi $(docker images -a -q)

Running this command will erase all Docker images present on your system. Remember, this action is not reversible, so ensure you want to remove every Docker image before executing the command.

Note

When trying to delete a Docker image, you might come across a warning stating that an image is referred to by multiple repositories. This happens if you have multiple versions of the same Docker image. If you encounter this, you can either choose to delete each version separately or forcefully remove all of them by adding -f at the end of your command:

docker rmi -f $(docker images -a -q)

Now, you have a clear, decluttered workspace free of unnecessary Docker images. Take care to delete images regularly, and ensure you do not accidentally remove images needed for ongoing projects. No one ever regretted having a clean, lean system!