Common Docker commands for building and managing test environments
When building and managing test environments with Docker, you'll often use a combination of commands to handle images, containers, networks, and volumes. Here are some common Docker commands tailored specifically for building and managing test environments:
Building Images:
docker build: Build an image from a Docker file. This is the primary command for creating custom Docker images tailored to your test environment requirements.
Managing Images:
docker pull: Pull an image from a registry if you need a pre-built base image for your test environment.docker push: Push your custom-built images to a registry if you want to share them with your team or deploy them to other environments.docker images: List all images on your local system to keep track of what images you have available.
Managing Containers:
docker run: Create and start a container based on a Docker image. You can use this command to instantiate your test environment.docker start,docker stop: Start and stop containers as needed during the testing process.docker rm: Remove containers that are no longer needed to free up resources and keep your system clean.docker ps: List running containers to monitor the status of your test environments.
Networking:
docker network create: Create custom networks if your test environment involves multiple containers that need to communicate with each other.docker network connect,docker network disconnect: Connect or disconnect containers to/from networks as required by your test setup.
Volumes:
docker volume create: Create named volumes to persist data between container restarts if your tests require persistent storage.docker volume ls,docker volume inspect: List and inspect volumes to manage data associated with your test environments.
Interacting with Containers:
docker exec: Execute commands inside running containers to perform tasks such as debugging or running test scripts.
Cleaning Up:
docker system prune: Remove all stopped containers, dangling images, and unused networks and volumes to free up disk space.
These commands provide a foundation for building and managing test environments with Docker. Depending on your specific requirements, you may need to combine and customize these commands to suit your testing needs. Additionally, using Docker Compose can streamline the process of defining and managing multi-container test environments by allowing you to define the entire environment in a single YAML file.