restart docker container

Sometimes you might need to restart your Docker container, and this article is all about how to do it in a step-by-step manner.

Docker is a powerful tool that allows us to build, ship and deploy applications conveniently using containerization. However, like any application, sometimes a Docker container may need to be restarted. You might want to restart your Docker container to apply new settings, solve a temporary glitch or just to start afresh. Here’s how you can do it:

Step 1: List Docker Containers

The first step is to identify the Docker container that needs to be restarted. Docker provides a command-line interface (CLI) that lets you interact with your Docker containers. Open your terminal and enter the following command:

docker ps

This command lists all running Docker containers. If you want to see all containers, including the ones that are not running, use the -a option:

docker ps -a

The output will give you details about all your Docker containers, including their ID, image, status, and names.

Step 2: Restart a Docker Container

Once you’ve identified the Docker container you want to restart, you can do this with the docker restart command, followed by the container ID or name. Here’s the syntax:

docker restart [container_ID_or_name]

For example, if the container ID is ‘abc123’, you would use:

docker restart abc123

This command will stop and then restart the Docker container.

Remember that when you restart a Docker container, any data that is not stored persistently will be lost. So, it’s a good practice to ensure that any vital data is stored in a way that survives container restarts.

Step 3: Verify the Restart

After restarting, it’s a good idea to check whether the Docker container has indeed restarted correctly.

You can do this by running the docker ps command again:

docker ps

The container you restarted should be in the list of running containers, and the status should show that it was recently started.

And that’s it! In these simple and easy steps, you can restart your Docker containers whenever you need to. Docker makes it quite simple to manage your containers and ensuring their proper operation.