Docker Cheat Sheet

Docker Cheat Sheet WSL 2 and Hyper-V

Change the location of docker images when using Docker Desktop on WSL 2

1. The WSL 2 docker-desktop-data vm disk image would normally reside in:

 %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Docker\wsl\data\ext4.vhdx

2. Shut down your docker desktop and Quit Docker Desktop

wsl --shutdown

Then, open your command prompt:

wsl -l -v

You should be able to see, make sure the STATE for both is Stopped.

  NAME                   STATE           VERSION
* docker-desktop-data    Stopped         2

3. Export docker-desktop-data into a file

wsl --export docker-desktop-data "D:\Docker\wsl\data\docker-desktop-data.tar"

4. Unregister docker-desktop-data from wsl, note that after this, your ext4.vhdx file would automatically be removed (so back it up first if you have important existing image/container):

wsl --unregister docker-desktop-data

5. Import the docker-desktop-data back to wsl, but now the ext4.vhdx would reside in different drive/directory:

wsl --import docker-desktop-data "D:\Docker\wsl\data" "D:\Docker\wsl\data\docker-desktop-data.tar" --version 2

6. Start the Docker Desktop using in your Admin PowerShell

Get-Service LxssManager | Restart-Service

7. You may delete the D:\Docker\wsl\data\docker-desktop-data.tar file (NOT the ext4.vhdx file) if everything looks good for you after verifying

Memory allocation to docker containers after moving to WSL 2 in Windows

1. Open Windows Terminal/CMD/PowerShell and run the commands below:

# turn off all wsl instances such as docker-desktop
wsl --shutdown

2. Create/ Open .wslconfig file with notepad:

notepad "$env:USERPROFILE/.wslconfig"

3. Edit .wslconfig file with notepad and write down these settings:

[wsl2]
memory=6GB      # Any size you feel like
processors=4    # Virtual processors
swap=0
localhostForwarding=true

4. Read More

• WSL commands and launch configurations
• WSL2 Tips: Limit CPU/Memory When using Docker
• Docker Desktop: WSL 2 Best practices
• Docker Desktop for Windows user manual
• WSL 2, Docker Desktop, VS Code Remote — WSL Extension
• ติดตั้ง WSL 2, Docker Desktop บน Windows 10

Alternative choice to Change the location

1. Stop Docker Desktop

2. Relocate Docker folder from C:\Users\chingchaih\AppData\Local\Docker to new path

3. Make sure C:\Users\chingchaih\AppData\Local\Docker is no longer there

4. Open a cmd in administrator mode

5. Run the following command that will create a symbolic link in the cmd window with the appropriate from and to path

    mklink /j "C:\Users\chingchaih\AppData\Local\Docker" "D:\Docker"

6. Restart Docker Desktop

7. Remove junction link
    rmdir "C:\Users\chingchaih\AppData\Local\Docker"

Reclaim the space used by WSL2 's ext4.vhdx

1. Remove unused images and other resources

docker system prune -a

2. Remove more resources

docker volume rm $(docker volume ls -q -f dangling=true)

3. Stop docker desktop, optimize image

#Make sure HyperV turned on / or type Hyper-V in win search

%windir%\System32\mmc.exe "%windir%\System32\virtmgmt.msc"

4. Optimize disk in GUI > Go to VM, and check disk

Optimize-VHD -Path "C:\ProgramData\DockerDesktop\vm-data\DockerDesktop.vhdx" -Mode Full

5. Start docker desktop

Now You will have free disk space

6. Read more

• Cleaning Up Docker Disk Space In WSL2

Docker Cheat Sheet

Manage Docker Images

docker images #View docker images
docker image ls #View docker images
docker build -t {name}:{tag} . #Build image
docker image rm {docker image name/ image id} #remove image
docker run -p {server port}:{docker port} -d {image name}:{image tag} #Run image

Manage Docker Container

docker ps #List running containers
docker ps -a #List all containers
docker start {docker container id} #start container
docker stop {docker container id} #stop container
docker rm {docker container id} #remove container
docker container rm -f $(docker ps -aq) #remove all container

Manage Docker Compose

docker-compose start #start docker compose
docker-compose stop #stop docker compose
docker-compose pause #pause running containers
docker-compose unpause #unpause running containers
docker-compose ps #List containers
docker-compose up
#Builds,creates,starts,attaches to containers
docker-compose down
#Stops containers and removes containers, networks, volumes, and images created by up

Links

Docker Cheat Sheet