docker-docs/_data/engine-cli/docker_exec.yaml

command: docker exec
short: Run a command in a running container
long: |-
  The `docker exec` command runs a new command in a running container.

  The command started using `docker exec` only runs while the container's primary
  process (`PID 1`) is running, and it is not restarted if the container is
  restarted.

  COMMAND runs in the default directory of the container. If the underlying image
  has a custom directory specified with the WORKDIR directive in its Dockerfile,
  this directory is used instead.

  COMMAND must be an executable. A chained or a quoted command does not work.
  For example, `docker exec -it my_container sh -c "echo a && echo b"` works,
  work, but `docker exec -it my_container "echo a && echo b"` does not.
usage: docker exec [OPTIONS] CONTAINER COMMAND [ARG...]
pname: docker
plink: docker.yaml
options:
- option: detach
  shorthand: d
  value_type: bool
  default_value: "false"
  description: 'Detached mode: run command in the background'
  deprecated: false
  experimental: false
  experimentalcli: false
  kubernetes: false
  swarm: false
- option: detach-keys
  value_type: string
  description: Override the key sequence for detaching a container
  deprecated: false
  experimental: false
  experimentalcli: false
  kubernetes: false
  swarm: false
- option: env
  shorthand: e
  value_type: list
  description: Set environment variables
  deprecated: false
  min_api_version: "1.25"
  experimental: false
  experimentalcli: false
  kubernetes: false
  swarm: false
- option: env-file
  value_type: list
  description: Read in a file of environment variables
  deprecated: false
  min_api_version: "1.25"
  experimental: false
  experimentalcli: false
  kubernetes: false
  swarm: false
- option: interactive
  shorthand: i
  value_type: bool
  default_value: "false"
  description: Keep STDIN open even if not attached
  deprecated: false
  experimental: false
  experimentalcli: false
  kubernetes: false
  swarm: false
- option: privileged
  value_type: bool
  default_value: "false"
  description: Give extended privileges to the command
  deprecated: false
  experimental: false
  experimentalcli: false
  kubernetes: false
  swarm: false
- option: tty
  shorthand: t
  value_type: bool
  default_value: "false"
  description: Allocate a pseudo-TTY
  deprecated: false
  experimental: false
  experimentalcli: false
  kubernetes: false
  swarm: false
- option: user
  shorthand: u
  value_type: string
  description: 'Username or UID (format: <name|uid>[:<group|gid>])'
  deprecated: false
  experimental: false
  experimentalcli: false
  kubernetes: false
  swarm: false
- option: workdir
  shorthand: w
  value_type: string
  description: Working directory inside the container
  deprecated: false
  min_api_version: "1.35"
  experimental: false
  experimentalcli: false
  kubernetes: false
  swarm: false
examples: "### Run `docker exec` on a running container\n\nFirst, start a container.\n\n```console\n$
  docker run --name mycontainer -d -i -t alpine /bin/sh\n```\n\nThis creates and starts
  a container named `mycontainer` from an `alpine` image\nwith an `sh` shell as its
  main process. The `-d` option (shorthand for `--detach`)\nsets the container to
  run in the background, in detached mode, with a pseudo-TTY\nattached (`-t`). The
  `-i` option is set to keep `STDIN` attached (`-i`), which\nprevents the `sh` process
  from exiting immediately.\n\nNext, execute a command on the container.\n\n```console\n$
  docker exec -d mycontainer touch /tmp/execWorks\n```\n\nThis creates a new file
  `/tmp/execWorks` inside the running container\n`mycontainer`, in the background.\n\nNext,
  execute an interactive `sh` shell on the container.\n\n```console\n$ docker exec
  -it mycontainer sh\n```\n\nThis starts a new shell session in the container `mycontainer`.\n\n###
  <a name=\"env\"></a> Set environment variables for the exec process (--env, -e)\n\nNext,
  set environment variables in the current bash session.\n\nBy default, the `docker
  exec` command, inherits the environment variables that\nare set at the time the
  container is created. Use the `--env` (or the `-e` shorthand)\nto override global
  environment variables, or to set additional environment variables\nfor the process
  started by `docker exec`.\n\nThe example below creates a new shell session in the
  container `mycontainer` with\nenvironment variables `$VAR_A` and `$VAR_B` set to
  \"1\" and \"2\" respectively.\nThese environment variables are only valid for the
  `sh` process started by that\n`docker exec` command, and are not available to other
  processes running inside\nthe container.\n\n```console\n$ docker exec -e VAR_A=1
  -e VAR_B=2 mycontainer env\nPATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin\nHOSTNAME=f64a4851eb71\nVAR_A=1\nVAR_B=2\nHOME=/root\n```\n\n###
  <a name=\"workdir\"></a> Set the working directory for the exec process (--workdir,
  -w)\n\nBy default `docker exec` command runs in the same working directory set when
  \nthe container was created.\n\n```console\n$ docker exec -it mycontainer pwd\n/\n```\n\nYou
  can specify an alternative working directory for the command to execute \nusing
  the `--workdir` option (or the `-w` shorthand):\n\n```console\n$ docker exec -it
  -w /root mycontainer pwd\n/root\n```\n\n\n### Try to run `docker exec` on a paused
  container\n\nIf the container is paused, then the `docker exec` command fails with
  an error:\n\n```console\n$ docker pause mycontainer\nmycontainer\n\n$ docker ps\n\nCONTAINER
  ID   IMAGE     COMMAND     CREATED          STATUS                   PORTS     NAMES\n482efdf39fac
  \  alpine    \"/bin/sh\"   17 seconds ago   Up 16 seconds (Paused)             mycontainer\n\n$
  docker exec mycontainer sh\n\nError response from daemon: Container mycontainer
  is paused, unpause the container before exec\n\n$ echo $?\n1\n```"
deprecated: false
experimental: false
experimentalcli: false
kubernetes: false
swarm: false