How to remove unused Docker containers and images

remove-docker-containers.md

May 8, 2018

I wrote this four years ago, so instead use this command:

$ docker rmi $(docker images -q -f dangling=true)

rm non-ascii chars

docker rmi $(docker images | grep "^<none>" | awk '{print $3}')

rm non-ascii chars

docker rmi $(docker images | grep "^<none>" | awk '{print $3}')

I have read it somewhere
It is working , special for deleting <none> images
$ docker-machine stop default
$ docker-machine start default
$ docker images -q | xargs docker rmi
or
$ docker-machine restart default
$ docker images -q | xargs docker rmi

I have read it somewhere
It is working , special for deleting <none> images
$ docker-machine stop default
$ docker-machine start default
$ docker images -q | xargs docker rmi
or
$ docker-machine restart default
$ docker images -q | xargs docker rmi

How to remove a container which has Image ID but not Name and Tag... ?

How to remove a container which has Image ID but not Name and Tag... ?

This worked for me :) " $ docker rmi $(docker images -q -f dangling=true) "

This worked for me :) " $ docker rmi $(docker images -q -f dangling=true) "

I recieved an error " No space left on device " since I used 100% of my iNodes. Running this command worked for me:

docker rmi $(docker images -q --filter "dangling=true")

I recieved an error " No space left on device " since I used 100% of my iNodes. Running this command worked for me:

docker rmi $(docker images -q --filter "dangling=true")

Another way of removing all images is:

docker images -q | xargs docker rmi

If images have depended children, forced removal is via the -f flag:

docker images -q | xargs docker rmi -f

Another way of removing all images is:

docker images -q | xargs docker rmi

If images have depended children, forced removal is via the -f flag:

docker images -q | xargs docker rmi -f

I use this script

#!/bin/bash

# Delete all stopped containers
docker rm $( docker ps -q -f status=exited)
# Delete all dangling (unused) images
docker rmi $( docker images -q -f dangling=true)

Edit

xargs with --no-run-if-empty is even better as it does cleanly handle the case when there is nothing to be removed.

#!/bin/bash

# Delete all stopped containers
docker ps -q -f status=exited | xargs --no-run-if-empty docker rm
# Delete all dangling (unused) images
docker images -q -f dangling=true | xargs --no-run-if-empty docker rmi

I use this script

#!/bin/bash

# Delete all stopped containers
docker rm $( docker ps -q -f status=exited)
# Delete all dangling (unused) images
docker rmi $( docker images -q -f dangling=true)

Edit

xargs with --no-run-if-empty is even better as it does cleanly handle the case when there is nothing to be removed.

#!/bin/bash

# Delete all stopped containers
docker ps -q -f status=exited | xargs --no-run-if-empty docker rm
# Delete all dangling (unused) images
docker images -q -f dangling=true | xargs --no-run-if-empty docker rmi

+1

+1

jarek-przygodzki works for me :)

jarek-przygodzki works for me :)

How would I do this on Windows? There's no xargs or $(...) syntax

How would I do this on Windows? There's no xargs or $(...) syntax

How would I do this on Windows? There's no xargs or $(...) syntax

It should work from Docker Quickstart Terminal created by Docker Toolbox installer.

How would I do this on Windows? There's no xargs or $(...) syntax

It should work from Docker Quickstart Terminal created by Docker Toolbox installer.

!/bin/bash

Delete all containers

docker rm $(docker ps -a -q)

Delete all images

docker rmi $(docker images -q)

!/bin/bash

Delete all containers

docker rm $(docker ps -a -q)

Delete all images

docker rmi $(docker images -q)

docker rmi $(docker images -f "dangling=true" -q)
or
docker images | grep "weeks ago" | awk '{print $3}' | xargs docker rmi

or
docker ps -a | grep Exited | awk '{print $1}' | xargs docker rm

docker rmi $(docker images -f "dangling=true" -q)
or
docker images | grep "weeks ago" | awk '{print $3}' | xargs docker rmi

or
docker ps -a | grep Exited | awk '{print $1}' | xargs docker rm

@HWiese1980

FOR /f "tokens=*" %i IN ('docker images -q -f "dangling=true"') DO docker rmi %i

@HWiese1980

FOR /f "tokens=*" %i IN ('docker images -q -f "dangling=true"') DO docker rmi %i

Tested on 1.12.3 (Windows and Linux (centos 7))

Linux

Containers

docker rm $(docker ps -a -q)

Images

docker rmi $(docker images -q)

Windows

Containers

FOR /f "tokens=*" %i IN ('docker ps -a -q') DO docker rm %i

Images

FOR /f "tokens=*" %i IN ('docker images -q -f "dangling=true"') DO docker rmi %i

Tested on 1.12.3 (Windows and Linux (centos 7))

Linux

Containers

docker rm $(docker ps -a -q)

Images

docker rmi $(docker images -q)

Windows

Containers

FOR /f "tokens=*" %i IN ('docker ps -a -q') DO docker rm %i

Images

FOR /f "tokens=*" %i IN ('docker images -q -f "dangling=true"') DO docker rmi %i

As of 1.13.0, see the new prune commands:

docker container prune   # Remove all stopped containers
docker volume prune      # Remove all unused volumes
docker image prune       # Remove unused images
docker system prune      # All of the above, in this order: containers, volumes, images

Bonus:

docker system df         # Show docker disk usage, including space reclaimable by pruning

New Data Management commands PR: moby/moby#26108

As of 1.13.0, see the new prune commands:

docker container prune   # Remove all stopped containers
docker volume prune      # Remove all unused volumes
docker image prune       # Remove unused images
docker system prune      # All of the above, in this order: containers, volumes, images

Bonus:

docker system df         # Show docker disk usage, including space reclaimable by pruning

New Data Management commands PR: moby/moby#26108

In Windows using PowerShell, this might work:
&'C:\Program Files\Docker\docker' ps -a | foreach-object { $l = $PSItem.ToString(); $c = $l.Substring(0, $l.IndexOf(" ")); if ($c.ToLower() -ne "container") { $cmd = "c:\Program Files\Docker\docker.exe"; & $cmd "rm" $c } }

In Windows using PowerShell, this might work:
&'C:\Program Files\Docker\docker' ps -a | foreach-object { $l = $PSItem.ToString(); $c = $l.Substring(0, $l.IndexOf(" ")); if ($c.ToLower() -ne "container") { $cmd = "c:\Program Files\Docker\docker.exe"; & $cmd "rm" $c } }

Worked great on the Windows container! Thanks!

Worked great on the Windows container! Thanks!

PowerShell

docker ps -a -q | % { docker rm $_ }
docker images -q | % { docker rmi $_ }

PowerShell

docker ps -a -q | % { docker rm $_ }
docker images -q | % { docker rmi $_ }

Great gist! Exactly what I was looking for

Great gist! Exactly what I was looking for

If you dislike shell commands try installing docker for python with for instance pip install docker and use the following script to remove junk images

#!/usr/bin/python

import docker
dockDaemon = docker.from_env()

imgid = [I.id for I in dockDaemon.images.list() if I.attrs["RepoTags"]==[u'<none>:<none>']]

for id in imgid:
   try:
        print "Trying to remove image",id
        dockDaemon.images.remove(id)
        print "Removed image",id
    except docker.errors.APIError,e:
        print "skipping image ",id,"as this is still in use"

If you dislike shell commands try installing docker for python with for instance pip install docker and use the following script to remove junk images

#!/usr/bin/python

import docker
dockDaemon = docker.from_env()

imgid = [I.id for I in dockDaemon.images.list() if I.attrs["RepoTags"]==[u'<none>:<none>']]

for id in imgid:
   try:
        print "Trying to remove image",id
        dockDaemon.images.remove(id)
        print "Removed image",id
    except docker.errors.APIError,e:
        print "skipping image ",id,"as this is still in use"

@ianmalott list plus:

docker network prune

@ianmalott list plus:

docker network prune

mark

mark

I am using all those commands. I am getting an error while deleting an image which has dependent containers. I would like to know is there any way of deleting images which does not have any containers associated with it. Because I am running docker rmi command from jenkins job as docker rmi $(docker images -q). This command fails when removing an image which has dependent containers and due to that jenkins job is failing. Any suggestions on this.

I am using all those commands. I am getting an error while deleting an image which has dependent containers. I would like to know is there any way of deleting images which does not have any containers associated with it. Because I am running docker rmi command from jenkins job as docker rmi $(docker images -q). This command fails when removing an image which has dependent containers and due to that jenkins job is failing. Any suggestions on this.

I have 3 ghost containers that I can't get rid of as they keep reappearing with another ID. I have tried all of the above examples even including one I found in a book which is: "docker update --restart=no <container_id or name>.
Any ideas on how I can make these go away???
Like a T-Shirt I saw "How can I miss you if you won't go away"
Thanks.

I have 3 ghost containers that I can't get rid of as they keep reappearing with another ID. I have tried all of the above examples even including one I found in a book which is: "docker update --restart=no <container_id or name>.
Any ideas on how I can make these go away???
Like a T-Shirt I saw "How can I miss you if you won't go away"
Thanks.

Finally got rid of those ghosts. Did "docker update --restart=no <container_id or name> or list of containers" and then did a "systemctl restart docker" and then they were gone!!!

Finally got rid of those ghosts. Did "docker update --restart=no <container_id or name> or list of containers" and then did a "systemctl restart docker" and then they were gone!!!

I lied. 3 minutes after Docker restarted the 3 containers plus 2 more were back.

Does anyone know how I can completely get rid of those unwanted containers???

Thanks.

I lied. 3 minutes after Docker restarted the 3 containers plus 2 more were back.

Does anyone know how I can completely get rid of those unwanted containers???

Thanks.

@GerBreOwn

docker stop $(docker ps -a -q) &
docker update --restart=no $(docker ps -a -q) &
systemctl restart docker

@GerBreOwn

docker stop $(docker ps -a -q) &
docker update --restart=no $(docker ps -a -q) &
systemctl restart docker

docker image prune

docker image prune

Does anyone know if there is a Windows cheat sheet for all of those commands ?

Does anyone know if there is a Windows cheat sheet for all of those commands ?

For Mac OSX I used:

docker rmi `docker images`
docker rm -f `docker ps -a`

Can anybody confirm / improve this command. It seems a bit tricky to me.

For Mac OSX I used:

docker rmi `docker images`
docker rm -f `docker ps -a`

Can anybody confirm / improve this command. It seems a bit tricky to me.

On ubuntu 16, I run docker images -q -f dangling=true | xargs --no-run-if-empty docker rmi but I'm getting few error I don't like:

Deleted: sha256:dcb6f5d567c4132f4921475010ac24b363aa69cb553de2a607a3000a5790eb73
Deleted: sha256:55050923de04598352fd3afcd08fb40a363d34528bd88a0b50403ad47eff1818
Untagged: abiosoft/caddy@sha256:9ddf5098c411437eb618f33046b13f2eb2a83e533e582053f0c2d90351b5e29d
Deleted: sha256:81d184abca3c6b789051b123ff5387ce1791b5a3ff363a1190f8bc65cd8ac4d0
Deleted: sha256:7dbeb84197d3d35e83e9d4bbb68e89816a5ed8f62072dc811432da332f4f6373
Deleted: sha256:6fa265aed859e111ca4e83441dce77b14a0692e3c295b72fb84ce696d3f81c4f
Deleted: sha256:ca8067d933cfd402d4f676775f4e623903ba42874fe47cce9694579c08644281
Deleted: sha256:a11b91f29e8caf4313f6f152a31bb63fc3f9ef25184837c4c163f783b4888663
Untagged: gliderlabs/logspout@sha256:9a807db8e9e484920c3228770da76b8af68e8704d8ca0965e68bf8cefc93cee1
Deleted: sha256:87895b8ba6144d395bc439523759a9b5637bf52a1007374fc2c24e1e0eba9067
Deleted: sha256:48f64bfe03edce8015597db7dc32f533538e3b45738af2f086f91ed8510a6299
Deleted: sha256:1e7daedfbf19ac38f824ab39a22c22502a9a6f80fec095b1cd12f37f1ca6b513
Deleted: sha256:e154057080f406372ebecadc0bfb5ff8a7982a0d13823bab1be5b86926c6f860
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete edbfcbd9b2a3 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container c505416ead45
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete 9b0dc474ee71 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container a0a5bd08a4ba
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete c0daf5d22637 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container 6efb59171b5e
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete a7a205723d12 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container 82bf86cc7464
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete 47dbf4321bb4 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container f1d2bc973e98
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete c68795cb48b2 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container 0293120cc87a
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete 08e03914fceb (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container 74c1e296ff6f

On ubuntu 16, I run docker images -q -f dangling=true | xargs --no-run-if-empty docker rmi but I'm getting few error I don't like:

Deleted: sha256:dcb6f5d567c4132f4921475010ac24b363aa69cb553de2a607a3000a5790eb73
Deleted: sha256:55050923de04598352fd3afcd08fb40a363d34528bd88a0b50403ad47eff1818
Untagged: abiosoft/caddy@sha256:9ddf5098c411437eb618f33046b13f2eb2a83e533e582053f0c2d90351b5e29d
Deleted: sha256:81d184abca3c6b789051b123ff5387ce1791b5a3ff363a1190f8bc65cd8ac4d0
Deleted: sha256:7dbeb84197d3d35e83e9d4bbb68e89816a5ed8f62072dc811432da332f4f6373
Deleted: sha256:6fa265aed859e111ca4e83441dce77b14a0692e3c295b72fb84ce696d3f81c4f
Deleted: sha256:ca8067d933cfd402d4f676775f4e623903ba42874fe47cce9694579c08644281
Deleted: sha256:a11b91f29e8caf4313f6f152a31bb63fc3f9ef25184837c4c163f783b4888663
Untagged: gliderlabs/logspout@sha256:9a807db8e9e484920c3228770da76b8af68e8704d8ca0965e68bf8cefc93cee1
Deleted: sha256:87895b8ba6144d395bc439523759a9b5637bf52a1007374fc2c24e1e0eba9067
Deleted: sha256:48f64bfe03edce8015597db7dc32f533538e3b45738af2f086f91ed8510a6299
Deleted: sha256:1e7daedfbf19ac38f824ab39a22c22502a9a6f80fec095b1cd12f37f1ca6b513
Deleted: sha256:e154057080f406372ebecadc0bfb5ff8a7982a0d13823bab1be5b86926c6f860
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete edbfcbd9b2a3 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container c505416ead45
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete 9b0dc474ee71 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container a0a5bd08a4ba
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete c0daf5d22637 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container 6efb59171b5e
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete a7a205723d12 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container 82bf86cc7464
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete 47dbf4321bb4 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container f1d2bc973e98
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete c68795cb48b2 (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container 0293120cc87a
Error response from daemon: conflict: unable to delete 08e03914fceb (cannot be forced) - image is being used by running container 74c1e296ff6f

I had to remove a group of containers with a particular label and the associated images.

This worked for me on windows powershell

docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV" | foreach-object {docker stop $PSItem.toString()}
docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV" | foreach-object {$i = docker inspect $PSItem.toString() --format='{{.Config.Image}}'; docker rmi -f $i}
docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV" | foreach-object {docker rm -f $PSItem.toString()}

For linux:

docker stop $(docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV")
docker rmi -f $(docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV" | xargs docker inspect --format='{{.Config.Image}}')
docker rm -f $(docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV")

I had to remove a group of containers with a particular label and the associated images.

This worked for me on windows powershell

docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV" | foreach-object {docker stop $PSItem.toString()}
docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV" | foreach-object {$i = docker inspect $PSItem.toString() --format='{{.Config.Image}}'; docker rmi -f $i}
docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV" | foreach-object {docker rm -f $PSItem.toString()}

For linux:

docker stop $(docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV")
docker rmi -f $(docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV" | xargs docker inspect --format='{{.Config.Image}}')
docker rm -f $(docker ps -a -q -f "label=DEV")

I put this alias in my .profile

alias docker-prune='docker system df && docker container prune && docker volume prune && docker system prune && docker system df'

Now, I can run docker-prune to clean-up all my Docker unused resources and reclaim disk space.

I put this alias in my .profile

alias docker-prune='docker system df && docker container prune && docker volume prune && docker system prune && docker system df'

Now, I can run docker-prune to clean-up all my Docker unused resources and reclaim disk space.

Stop all containers:
for i in $(docker ps | awk '{print $1}' | awk '{if(NR>1)print}'); do docker stop $i; done

Delete all images:
for i in $(docker images | awk '{print $3}' | awk '{if(NR>1)print}'); do docker rmi $i; done

Stop all containers:
for i in $(docker ps | awk '{print $1}' | awk '{if(NR>1)print}'); do docker stop $i; done

Delete all images:
for i in $(docker images | awk '{print $3}' | awk '{if(NR>1)print}'); do docker rmi $i; done

Remove all docker images marked as "none" in Powershell

docker rmi ((docker images | select-string "<none>" | ConvertFrom-String) | Select -ExpandProperty "P3")

Remove all docker images marked as "none" in Powershell

docker rmi ((docker images | select-string "<none>" | ConvertFrom-String) | Select -ExpandProperty "P3")

This worked for me on Ubuntu 16.04
Before deleting all the containers, force stop them:
docker ps -q -a | xargs docker stop

Then delete the containers using:
docker ps -q -a | xargs docker rm

Now delete all the dangling images using:
docker rmi $(docker images | grep “^<none>” | awk ‘{print $3}’)

This worked for me on Ubuntu 16.04
Before deleting all the containers, force stop them:
docker ps -q -a | xargs docker stop

Then delete the containers using:
docker ps -q -a | xargs docker rm

Now delete all the dangling images using:
docker rmi $(docker images | grep “^<none>” | awk ‘{print $3}’)

'docker system prune' doesn't remove images on windows

'docker system prune' doesn't remove images on windows