Are you looking for an easy guide to list docker images? So you reached the right destination. With this blog, we are going to tell you easy steps to help you with the process of listing docker images efficiently. This blog is a part of our Docker consulting services where we streamline all your Docker operations. Our certified Docker admins will make sure to efficiently list Docker images in your system.
Docker gives you access to a wealth of helpful commands that you can use to build, operate, and manage Docker objects like volumes, images, containers, networks, and so on. If you have been using Docker for a significant amount of time, you could already have numerous Docker images installed on your computer. Keeping track of all of these images becomes very challenging, especially when done using a single command line.
To achieve the results you want, you will need to list all Docker images in addition to filtered outputs. In this article, we will cover how to use several commands in order to list Docker images that are stored on our host computer. Before that, let’s understand the docker image in detail.
Table of Contents
What is Docker Image?
Docker images are files that may be used to run programs inside of a Docker container. In a way, Docker files are like a set of instructions for how to build a Docker container. When working with Docker, Docker images may also serve as an initial point. When working with virtual machine (VM) settings, an image functions in a manner similar to a snapshot.
Applications may be created, executed, and deployed in containers using Docker. The application code, libraries, tools, dependencies, and other files required for an application to execute are all included in a Docker image. When someone runs an image, it can become into one or more containers.
Docker images are built up of numerous layers, each of which originates from the one that came before it but is otherwise distinct from it. The layers reduce disk use, boost reusability, and accelerate Docker builds. Image layers, like all other image files, are read-only. When a container is made, a writable layer is built on top of the images that cannot be altered. This gives the user the ability to make modifications to the images.
Read more: Our Blog Post On failed to start docker application container engine
Why Docker Image Listing is important
Docker Image Listing is essential since it provides you with the ability to view all of the Docker images that are currently accessible on your computer. In situations where you need to find a specific Docker image among many others, this works in useful. You are also able to find more information about each image, such as its size, the date it was generated, and the tag that is linked with it when you use Docker Image Listing. When it comes to having an efficient Docker image management system, this knowledge is essential.
Step-by-step guide to List Docker Images
There are two primary commands that may be utilized in a manner that is similar to one another in order to list Docker images, and both of these commands provide the same output. Both of these commands’ syntaxes are described in further detail below.
$ docker image Is [OPTIONS] [REPOSITORY[:TAG]]
With this command, you can have a lot of options to choose from. The following are:
- –digests – It is put to use in the process of printing the picture digests.
- –filter – This option allows you to apply filters to your output.
- –format – Using a Go template, you may make the output look more appealing.
- –no-trunc – You may utilize this to prevent the output from being truncated.
- –quiet – Show only the IDs of the images.
- –all – Utilizing this option will allow you to list intermediate images.
Another command that may be used for doing the same thing is –
$ docker images
Let’s go over a few instances of how you can modify the output of your results.
The following command may be used by you in order to list just the images that are associated with a specific repository.
$ docker images < repository-name>:<tag-name>
For example, the following command can be used to show a list of all the nginx images.
$ docker images nginx
You now have the option of providing the name of the image repository in addition to the tag name.
$ docker images nginx:latest
If you analyze the results in extensive detail, you will see that the list Docker images command presents the image list by truncating the IDs of the images. You have the option to use –no-trunc if you wish to change the behavior that is set as the default. Let’s explore the procedure for doing so.
$ docker images --no-trunc
If you want to get a list of the digests of the images as well, all you need to do is run the Docker images command with the –digests option. Image digests are unique IDs that are assigned to each tagged image, and they are frequently used to search for other images that are similar.
$ docker images --digests
You can use the –filter option to get a list of all the pictures that are dangling or not tagged. It is necessary for you to provide the correct key-value pairs. You may give examples of filters such as label, dangling, before, since, and reference. Here’s how to list all the images that are dangling.
$ docker images --filter "dangling=true"
You may use the before filter if you want to filter out all of the images that have been created before a certain image.
$ docker images --filter "before=fedora"
The previous command will show you a list of all images produced on your host computer before the fedora image was created. You may use the since filter to see a list of images that were produced after a certain image.
$ docker images --filter "since=fedora"
You also have the option of using the reference feature to list images that fit a specific pattern. For instance, If you want to list all images you may use the following command to list all images that begin with the letter m.
$ docker images --filter=reference='m*'
You may use the –all option to list all of the photos, which includes intermediate and dangling ones.
$ docker images --all
You may use the –quiet option if you simply want the image IDs to be printed out when you export the images.
$ docker images --quiet
In addition to that, you can use the –format option to pretty-print the output by making use of a Go template. Let’s analyze the procedure for doing so.
$ docker images --format "The Image ID for the image is {{.ID}} belonging to {{.Repository}}"
Other variables that can be used in their place include tag, ID, digest, size, createdat, createdsince, and so on.
Check Out: Our blog post on how to install docker on mac
Conclusion
Listing Docker images is a basic operation in Docker management. With the docker images command and its various options, you can easily retrieve information about the images on your system, whether you need a comprehensive list or filtered results based on specific criteria.
In this article, we discussed all the docker list image steps and covered some important points of docker. We hope that you will now be able to understand the list docker image commands in detail. If you have any queries, or suggestions or want to know more about Docker and its operations, you can contact SupportFly which is one of the best Docker consulting service providers.
