Execute a command inside a running container with docker exec
domain: docs.docker.com · 6 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
Community-contributed — not yet independently checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Documented steps
Run a command in a running container: `docker exec [OPTIONS] CONTAINER COMMAND [ARG...]` (alias of docker container exec).
Open an interactive shell: `docker exec -it mycontainer sh` (or bash if present).
Run a one-off command non-interactively: `docker exec mycontainer cat /etc/hostname`.
Set env vars for just that process: `docker exec -e VAR_A=1 -e VAR_B=2 mycontainer env`.
Specify a working directory: `docker exec -w /root mycontainer pwd`.
Official docs: https://docs.docker.com/reference/cli/docker/container/exec/
Known gotchas
The exec'd command only runs while the container's PID 1 is alive, and it is NOT restarted on container restart.
The command must be an executable present in the container; quoted/chained shell isn't parsed — wrap with a shell: `docker exec -it c sh -c 'echo a && echo b'` (the bare quoted version fails).
docker exec on a paused container fails: 'Container <name> is paused, unpause the container before exec'.
Exec inherits the container's base env; -e adds/overrides only for that command, not other processes.
For an interactive shell you need BOTH -i and -t; use -d to detach (background) a non-interactive command.
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