{"id":48435,"date":"2025-02-08T08:34:34","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T08:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/?p=48435"},"modified":"2025-07-12T05:38:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T05:38:42","slug":"docker-images","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/docker-images\/","title":{"rendered":"Docker commands Guide – docker images with examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Here\u2019s a complete tutorial<\/strong> on docker images<\/code>, covering what it does<\/strong>, examples<\/strong>, and use cases<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What is docker images<\/code>?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

docker images<\/code> is a Docker command that lists all available images<\/strong> on the local machine. It provides details like the repository name, tag, image ID, size<\/strong>, and the creation date<\/strong> of each image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Features:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Lists all locally available Docker images.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Supports filtering, sorting, and formatting output.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Helps manage and inspect images for size, age, and tags.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Basic Syntax<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
    docker<\/span> images<\/span> [OPTIONS]<\/span> [REPOSITORY[:TAG]<\/span>]\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
    Common Options:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • -a<\/code>, --all<\/code>: Show all images, including intermediate layers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • --digests<\/code>: Show image digests (SHA256 hash of the image).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • --format<\/code>: Customize the output using Go templates (e.g., {{.Repository}}<\/code>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • --filter<\/code>, -f<\/code>: Filter images based on criteria like dangling, before, since, and label<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • --no-trunc<\/code>: Show full image IDs and digests without truncation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      Examples of docker images<\/code><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      1. List All Docker Images<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker images\n<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Example Output:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
      REPOSITORY<\/span>   TAG<\/span>       IMAGE<\/span> ID<\/span>       CREATED<\/span>       SIZE<\/span>\nnginx<\/span>        latest<\/span>    e21c333399e4<\/span>   1 day<\/span> ago<\/span>     22.6MB<\/span>\npython<\/span>       3.9<\/span>       5b6b7b8932de<\/span>   2 days<\/span> ago<\/span>    885MB<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      2. Show All Images, Including Intermediate Layers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker images -a\n<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This lists all images, including intermediate layers used during image builds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      3. Show Image Digests<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker images --digests\n<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Example Output:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
      REPOSITORY<\/span>   TAG<\/span>       DIGEST<\/span>                                                                    IMAGE<\/span> ID<\/span>       SIZE<\/span>\nnginx<\/span>        latest<\/span>    sha256<\/span>:c95f7e6fdf92bc932f3cfad7bb9275d53f3af7c7e69c2c27dc28b7e60a7c5b61<\/span>   e21c333399e4<\/span>   22.6MB<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      4. List Images for a Specific Repository<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker images nginx\n<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This lists all available tags for the nginx<\/code> image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      5. List a Specific Image by Tag<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker<\/span> images<\/span> nginx<\/span>:1.21<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Shows only the image with the tag 1.21<\/code> for nginx<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      6. Filter Images by Dangling Status<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker images --filter \"dangling=true\"<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This lists dangling images<\/strong> (untagged images that are no longer associated with a container).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      7. Filter Images by Creation Date (before<\/code> and since<\/code>)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker images --filter \"before=nginx:latest\"<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Lists images created before<\/strong> the nginx:latest<\/code> image.<\/p>\n\n\n
      docker images --filter \"since=python:3.9\"<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Lists images created after<\/strong> the python:3.9<\/code> image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      8. Use Custom Formatting for Output<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker images --format \"Repository: {{.Repository}}, Tag: {{.Tag}}, Size: {{.Size}}\"<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Example Output:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
      Repository<\/span>: nginx<\/span>, Tag<\/span>: latest<\/span>, Size<\/span>: 22.6MB<\/span>\nRepository<\/span>: python<\/span>, Tag<\/span>: 3.9<\/span>, Size<\/span>: 885MB<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      9. List Only Image IDs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker images -q\n<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Example Output:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
      e21c333399e4\n5b6b7b8932de\n<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      10. List Images and Remove Dangling Ones<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker images --filter \"dangling=true\"<\/span> -q | xargs docker rmi\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This removes all dangling images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      11. Use docker images<\/code> in a Shell Script<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      #!\/bin\/bash<\/span>\nfor<\/span> image in<\/span> $(docker images -q); do<\/span>\n  echo \"Found image: $image\"<\/span>\ndone\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      Use Cases for docker images<\/code><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      1. Image Management and Maintenance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • List all images to monitor image size<\/strong> and manage disk space.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Example: Identify large images and remove them if not needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        2. Debugging and Troubleshooting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Use docker images<\/code> to verify image availability<\/strong> before running containers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Example: Ensure the correct version of an image is available for a specific service.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          3. Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI\/CD)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • Integrate docker images<\/code> in CI\/CD pipelines to check for the latest images<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Example: Use it to determine if a new image needs to be built.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            4. Security and Auditing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            • List images and verify that they are up-to-date and secure<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Example: Regularly check for old or vulnerable images.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              5. Automated Image Cleanup<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              • Use docker images<\/code> with docker rmi<\/code> to automate image cleanup<\/strong> scripts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                6. Track Image Changes and Updates<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                  \n
                • Monitor different image tags for a repository to track updates<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                  \n\n\n\n
                  List of Common docker images<\/code> Commands<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                  Command<\/strong><\/th>Description<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
                  docker images<\/code><\/td>List all Docker images<\/td><\/tr>
                  docker images -a<\/code><\/td>Show all images, including intermediate layers<\/td><\/tr>
                  docker images --digests<\/code><\/td>Show image digests<\/td><\/tr>
                  docker images nginx<\/code><\/td>List all images for the nginx<\/code> repository<\/td><\/tr>
                  docker images --filter \"dangling=true\"<\/code><\/td>List all dangling images<\/td><\/tr>
                  docker images --filter \"before=nginx:latest\"<\/code><\/td>List images created before nginx:latest<\/code><\/td><\/tr>
                  docker images -q<\/code><\/td>Show only image IDs<\/td><\/tr>
                  docker images --format \"{{.Repository}}\"<\/code><\/td>Customize the output format<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                  \n\n\n\n
                  Best Practices for Using docker images<\/code>:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                    \n
                  1. Regularly monitor and clean up images<\/strong> to save disk space.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  2. Use filters (--filter<\/code>)<\/strong> to focus on specific images (dangling, older than a given image, etc.).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  3. Tag images properly<\/strong> for easy identification (e.g., my_app:dev<\/code>, my_app:prod<\/code>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  4. Combine with docker rmi<\/code><\/strong> for automated cleanup scripts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  5. Track image sizes<\/strong> and optimize Dockerfiles to reduce image bloat.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                    \n\n\n\n
                    Common Errors and Solutions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                      \n
                    1. “No such image”<\/strong>
                      \u2192 Ensure the image exists and is properly tagged. Use docker images<\/code> to verify.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    2. “Image size too large”<\/strong>
                      \u2192 Use multi-stage builds or switch to a smaller base image (alpine<\/code>) to reduce size.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    3. “Dangling images taking too much space”<\/strong>
                      \u2192 Use docker images --filter \"dangling=true\"<\/code> to identify and remove them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                      \n\n\n\n
                      Combining docker images<\/code> with Other Commands<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                      Remove Old Images<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
                      docker images --filter \"before=my_app:1.0\"<\/span> -q | xargs docker rmi\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
                      Check Disk Usage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
                      docker system df\n<\/code><\/span><\/pre>\n\n\n
                      \n\n\n\n
                      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
                      Here\u2019s a complete tutorial on docker images, covering what it does, examples, and use cases. What is docker images? docker images is a Docker command that lists all available images… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[4862],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-docker"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48435"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48437,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48435\/revisions\/48437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}