Docker is a powerful platform that enables developers to automate the deployment of applications inside lightweight, portable containers. Over time, as you build, run, and test applications, you may accumulate many Docker images and containers. These can consume significant disk space and clutter your environment, making it harder to manage and maintain your system. Knowing how to efficiently remove Docker images and containers is essential for keeping your Docker environment clean and optimized.

In this guide, we will explore the steps to remove Docker images and containers.

Removing Docker Containers

1. List Containers.

To list all containers, both running and stopped, use the following command:

docker ps -a

This will display a list of all containers with their status.

CONTAINER ID   IMAGE     COMMAND                  CREATED         STATUS                     PORTS     NAMES
7d8db99f64e9   nginx     "/docker-entrypoint.…"   6 seconds ago   Up 5 seconds               80/tcp    elated_diffie
a7dfbcd76554   busybox   "sh"                     2 minutes ago   Exited (0) 2 minutes ago             my_container

2. Stop a Running Container.

Before removing a running container, you need to stop it. Use the following command:

docker stop

Replace with the ID or name of the container.

docker stop 7d8db99f64e9

This will stop the Nginx container.

3. Remove a Container.

To remove a container, use the following command:

docker rm

Replace with the ID or name of the container.

docker rm 7d8db99f64e9

This will remove the Nginx container.

You can remove multiple containers at once by specifying multiple container IDs separated by a space.

4. Force Remove a Running Container.

You can also forcefully stop and remove a running container with:

docker rm -f

5. Remove All Stopped Containers.

To remove all stopped containers, use:

docker container prune

You will be prompted to confirm the action.

Removing Docker Images

1. List Docker Images.

To list all Docker images, use:

docker images

Output:

REPOSITORY   TAG       IMAGE ID       CREATED         SIZE
nginx        latest    a72860cb95fd   4 weeks ago     188MB
ubuntu       latest    35a88802559d   6 weeks ago     78.1MB
busybox      latest    65ad0d468eb1   14 months ago   4.26MB

2. Remove a Specific Image.

To remove a specific image, use:

docker rmi

Replace with the ID of the image you want to remove.

docker rmi a72860cb95fd

This will remove the Nginx image.

3. Remove Multiple Images.

You can remove multiple images by specifying multiple image IDs.

docker rmi

4. Force Remove an Image.

If an image is associated with a container, you can forcefully remove it with:

docker rmi -f

5. Remove Dangling Images.

Dangling images are layers not associated with any tagged images. To remove them, use:

docker image prune

6. Remove All Unused Images.

To remove all images not associated with a container, use:

docker image prune -a

Cleaning Up Volumes and Networks

1. Remove Unused Volumes.

Volumes can also consume disk space. To remove unused volumes, use:

docker volume prune

2. Remove Unused Networks.

To remove unused networks, use:

docker network prune

Conclusion

Managing Docker containers and images is essential for maintaining a clean and efficient Docker environment. By regularly removing unused containers, images, volumes, and networks, you can free up valuable disk space and improve the performance of your Docker system. The commands provided in this guide give you the tools needed to list, stop, and remove containers and images effectively. You can now easily remove Docker images and containers from VPS hosting from Atlantic.Net!