Basic Docker Compose Commands

Starting Containers

# Start containers in detached mode
docker compose up -d

# Start specific service
docker compose up -d service_name

Stopping Containers

# Stop and remove containers
docker compose down

# Stop and remove containers, including volumes
docker compose down -v

Viewing Logs

# Follow logs in real-time
docker compose logs -f

# Follow logs for specific service
docker compose logs -f service_name

Accessing Containers

# Access container shell
docker compose exec container_name bash

# Run one-off command
docker compose exec container_name command

Additional Useful Commands

Container Management

# List running containers
docker compose ps

# Restart services
docker compose restart

# View resource usage
docker compose top

Building Images

# Build or rebuild services
docker compose build

# Build with no cache
docker compose build --no-cache

Troubleshooting

# Check compose configuration
docker compose config

# View container events
docker compose events

Best Practices

  1. Always use -d flag for detached mode in production
  2. Regularly check logs for issues
  3. Clean up unused containers and volumes
  4. Use meaningful container names
  5. Keep your Docker Compose files version controlled