{"id":48438,"date":"2025-02-08T08:35:40","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T08:35:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/?p=48438"},"modified":"2026-02-21T07:25:47","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T07:25:47","slug":"docker-import","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/docker-import\/","title":{"rendered":"Docker commands Guide – docker import with examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

\n\n\n\n

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

docker import<\/code> is a Docker command that creates a new image<\/strong> from a tarball containing a container\u2019s filesystem<\/strong>. It is often used to restore containers from exported tar files<\/strong> or to create custom images<\/strong> from minimal filesystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Features:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Converts a tarball<\/strong> (container snapshot) into a new Docker image.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Restores backup tarballs<\/strong> created with docker export<\/code>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Allows for custom image creation<\/strong> from external filesystems.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Supports adding tags and metadata<\/strong> during the import process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    Basic Syntax<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
    docker import<\/span> [OPTIONS] file|URL|- [REPOSITORY[:TAG]]\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
    Options:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • -c<\/code>, --change<\/code>: Apply Dockerfile instructions (e.g., CMD<\/code>, ENV<\/code>) to the image during import.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • -m<\/code>, --message<\/code>: Add a commit message to the new image.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      Examples of docker import<\/code><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      1. Import a Tarball as a New Image<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker<\/span> import<\/span> my_container<\/span>.tar<\/span> my_new_image<\/span>:latest<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This creates a new image called my_new_image:latest<\/code> from the tarball my_container.tar<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      2. Import a Tarball with a Commit Message<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker import<\/span> -m \"Restored from backup\"<\/span> my_container.tar restored_image:backup\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This imports the tarball and adds a message describing the image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      3. Apply Dockerfile Instructions During Import<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker import<\/span> -c \"CMD \/bin\/bash\"<\/span> my_container.tar custom_image:1.0<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This sets the default command (CMD<\/code>) for the new image to \/bin\/bash<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      4. Import from a Remote URL<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker import<\/span> https:\/\/example.com\/container_backup.tar my_remote_image:latest<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This imports an image directly from a remote tarball URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      5. Import and Set Multiple Instructions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker import<\/span> -c \"ENV APP_ENV=production\"<\/span> -c \"CMD \/start.sh\"<\/span> my_backup.tar production_image:1.0<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This sets an environment variable (APP_ENV<\/code>) and a startup command (\/start.sh<\/code>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      6. Import a Tarball Using Standard Input<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      cat my_container.tar | docker import<\/span> - custom_image:latest\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This reads the tarball from standard input and creates a new image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      7. Rebuild a Base Image<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      docker<\/span> import<\/span> minimal_rootfs<\/span>.tar<\/span> minimal_image<\/span>:latest<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      This creates a minimal image from a tarball containing a custom Linux filesystem (minimal_rootfs.tar<\/code>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      8. Restore an Exported Container<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      Export the container:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
      docker export<\/span> my_container -o my_container.tar\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      Import the tarball as a new image:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
      docker<\/span> import<\/span> my_container<\/span>.tar<\/span> restored_image<\/span>:latest<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      9. Automate Import with a Script<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
      #!\/bin\/bash<\/span>\ndocker import<\/span> -c \"CMD \/bin\/bash\"<\/span> \/backups\/my_container.tar backup_image:$(date +%Y%m%d)\necho \"Image imported with tag backup_image:$(date +%Y%m%d)\"<\/span>\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 import<\/code><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      1. Restoring Containers from Backups<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • Use docker import<\/code> to restore a container\u2019s filesystem<\/strong> from a backup tarball.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Example: Recover a database container from a previously exported snapshot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        2. Creating Minimal Base Images<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Build custom base images by importing minimal filesystems<\/strong> (e.g., custom Alpine, Ubuntu).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Example: Create a stripped-down Linux image from a root filesystem tarball.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          3. Custom Image Creation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          • Import tarballs with pre-installed software or configurations and turn them into reusable images.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Example: Import a tarball containing an application and its dependencies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            4. Transferring Containers Between Systems<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            • Use docker export<\/code> and docker import<\/code> to move containers between environments<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Example: Transfer a container from a development machine to a production server.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
              5. Integrating with Legacy Systems<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                \n
              • Import filesystems from non-Docker environments to create Docker images.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              • Example: Convert a physical server\u2019s filesystem into a Docker image.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                6. Simplifying CI\/CD Pipelines<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                  \n
                • Pre-build images with specific dependencies and import them in CI\/CD pipelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                  \n\n\n\n
                  List of Common docker import<\/code> Commands<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                  Command<\/strong><\/th>Description<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
                  docker import my_container.tar my_image:latest<\/code><\/td>Import a tarball as a new image<\/td><\/tr>
                  docker import -m \"Backup on Feb 7\" backup.tar my_backup:20260207<\/code><\/td>Import with a commit message<\/td><\/tr>
                  docker import -c \"CMD \/bin\/bash\" container.tar custom_image:1.0<\/code><\/td>Set the default command during import<\/td><\/tr>
                  docker import https:\/\/example.com\/backup.tar remote_image:latest<\/code><\/td>Import a tarball from a URL<\/td><\/tr>
                  `cat my_container.tar<\/td>docker import – my_image`<\/td><\/tr>
                  docker import minimal_rootfs.tar minimal_image<\/code><\/td>Create a minimal image from a custom filesystem<\/td><\/tr>
                  `docker export my_container<\/td>docker import – restored_image`<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
                  \n\n\n\n
                  Best Practices for Using docker import<\/code>:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                    \n
                  1. Use docker import<\/code> for restoring containers<\/strong> or creating custom base images\u2014not for everyday image builds (prefer Dockerfiles for reproducibility).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  2. Combine with docker export<\/code><\/strong> for seamless backup and restore processes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  3. Add Dockerfile instructions (--change<\/code>)<\/strong> to set environment variables, commands, or default entrypoints.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  4. Use meaningful tags<\/strong> to track imported images (e.g., backup:20260207<\/code>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                  5. Verify the imported image<\/strong> by running it and inspecting its configuration (docker inspect<\/code>).<\/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 file or directory”<\/strong>
                      \u2192 Ensure the tarball exists and the path is correct.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    2. “Permission denied”<\/strong>
                      \u2192 Check permissions on the tarball or run the command with sudo<\/code>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    3. “Invalid tar file”<\/strong>
                      \u2192 Verify that the tarball is properly created and contains the correct filesystem structure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                    4. “Imported image does not start correctly”<\/strong>
                      \u2192 Use -c<\/code> to set the CMD<\/code> or ENTRYPOINT<\/code> during import.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                      \n\n\n\n
                      Combining docker import<\/code> with Other Commands<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
                      Export and Re-Import for Backup and Restore<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                      Export the container:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
                      docker export<\/span> my_container -o my_container.tar\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> JavaScript<\/span> (<\/span>javascript<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
                      Re-import it as a new image:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
                      docker<\/span> import<\/span> my_container<\/span>.tar<\/span> my_restored_image<\/span>:latest<\/span>\ndocker<\/span> run<\/span> -it<\/span> my_restored_image<\/span> bash<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
                      Build a Custom Base Image<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
                      docker<\/span> import<\/span> custom_rootfs<\/span>.tar<\/span> my_base_image<\/span>:1.0<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
                      Check the Imported Image<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
                      docker<\/span> inspect<\/span> my_base_image<\/span>:1.0<\/span>\ndocker<\/span> run<\/span> -it<\/span> my_base_image<\/span>:1.0<\/span> bash<\/span>\n<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> CSS<\/span> (<\/span>css<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
                      \n\n\n\n
                      <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
                      Here\u2019s a complete tutorial on docker import, covering what it does, examples, and use cases. What is docker import? docker import is a Docker command that creates a new image… <\/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-48438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-docker"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48438","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=48438"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48438\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58891,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48438\/revisions\/58891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}