CodeBlanks Logo Icon CodeBlanks
Login Register

docker stop and rm

Learn to stop and remove containers.

docker stop and rm

docker stop first sends SIGTERM to the main process, giving the application 10 seconds to shut down; if time runs out it kills it with SIGKILL. A stopped container stays on disk; docker rm deletes it:

docker stop web
docker rm web
docker rm -f cache        # force stop and remove even if running

docker start web restarts a stopped container with the same settings.

The difference between stop and kill

docker kill sends SIGKILL without waiting; the application can't close open files or save half-done work. That is why stop is normally preferred. For applications that take long to shut down, the timeout is increased:

docker stop -t 30 db     # give the database 30 seconds
docker kill web          # kill immediately
docker start web         # start again

Practice Graceful shutdown

Write three commands: stop the db container allowing 30 seconds; remove it; then force-remove the cache container even if it is running.

Starter code

terminal
# buraya yaz

Sample solution

terminal
docker stop -t 30 db
docker rm db
docker rm -f cache

Expected output

db
db
cache

Questions and answers

Review the lesson questions together with their answers. To test yourself, solve the lesson interactively.

1 By default, how many seconds does docker stop give the application to shut down?

  • 60
  • 1
  • 10 Correct answer
  • 0

Explanation: It can be changed with -t: docker stop -t 30 web.

2 Force-remove a running container.

Question 
docker rm ____ cache
Answer 
docker rm -f cache

Explanation: -f stops it first, then removes it.

3 Match the commands.

Term Meaning
docker stop SIGTERM, then SIGKILL
docker kill Immediate SIGKILL
docker rm Removes a stopped container
docker start Restarts a stopped one

All lessons in Beginner

1 What is Docker?

  1. What is Docker?
  2. Containers and virtual machines
  3. Images and containers
  4. Docker architecture
  5. Use cases
  6. Summary - What is Docker

2 Installation and first commands

  1. Installing Docker
  2. docker version
  3. docker info
  4. The hello-world container
  5. Docker Desktop
  6. Summary - Installation

3 First container

  1. docker run basics
  2. Running in the background
  3. docker ps
  4. docker stop and rm
  5. docker logs
  6. Summary - First container

4 Dockerfile basics

  1. What is a Dockerfile?
  2. The FROM instruction
  3. The RUN instruction
  4. COPY and ADD
  5. CMD and ENTRYPOINT
  6. Summary - Dockerfile

5 Build and images

  1. docker build
  2. Tagging images
  3. Build context
  4. Layers and cache
  5. .dockerignore
  6. Summary - Build

6 docker run options

  1. Interactive mode
  2. Naming containers
  3. Restart policy
  4. Working directory
  5. Switching users
  6. Summary - docker run

7 Image management

  1. docker images
  2. docker rmi
  3. docker pull
  4. docker push
  5. docker tag
  6. Summary - Image management

8 Port mapping

  1. The port concept
  2. The -p flag
  3. Multiple ports
  4. Random ports
  5. IP binding
  6. Summary - Port mapping

9 Volumes and data

  1. Data persistence
  2. Named volumes
  3. The -v flag
  4. Bind mounts
  5. Volume management
  6. Summary - Volumes

10 Environment variables

  1. The -e flag
  2. The ENV instruction
  3. The ARG instruction
  4. env-file
  5. The WORKDIR instruction
  6. Summary - Environment

11 Project: docker-compose

  1. Compose design
  2. Service definition
  3. Database service
  4. Volume and network
  5. Putting it together - compose

12 Docker Hub and registry

  1. What is Docker Hub?
  2. docker login
  3. Searching images
  4. Official images
  5. Private registry
  6. Summary - Registry

13 Network basics

  1. Network drivers
  2. docker network ls
  3. Bridge network
  4. Container connectivity
  5. Publishing ports
  6. Summary - Network

14 Beginner final

  1. Challenge - Dockerfile
  2. Challenge - Build and run
  3. Challenge - Volume
  4. Challenge - Compose
  5. Challenge - Beginner project