Docker SCP Command Usage

Docker is a popular platform for developing, shipping, and running applications inside containers. Containers provide a lightweight, consistent environment for applications to run in, making it easy to deploy applications across different environments. One common task when working with Docker containers is transferring files to and from a container. The docker cp command can be used to copy files and directories between a container and the host machine. However, this command only works for containers that are running. If you need to copy files to or from a container that is not running, you can use the docker scp command.

In this article, we will explore how to use the docker scp command to transfer files between a Docker container and the host machine. We will also provide code examples to demonstrate the usage of this command.

Prerequisites

Before using the docker scp command, make sure you have Docker installed on your machine. You can download Docker from the [official Docker website](

Using Docker SCP Command

The docker scp command allows you to securely copy files to and from a Docker container. The basic syntax of the command is as follows:

docker scp <SOURCE> <CONTAINER>:<DESTINATION>
docker scp <CONTAINER>:<SOURCE> <DESTINATION>
  • <SOURCE>: Path to the source file or directory on the host machine.
  • <CONTAINER>: ID or name of the container.
  • <DESTINATION>: Path to the destination file or directory in the container.

To copy a file from the host machine to a container, you can use the following command:

docker scp file.txt container1:/path/to/destination

To copy a file from a container to the host machine, you can use the following command:

docker scp container1:/path/to/source/file.txt /path/to/destination

Code Examples

Let's walk through a simple example to demonstrate how to use the docker scp command. In this example, we will copy a file named example.txt from the host machine to a running container named container1.

Copying a File to a Container

  1. Create a file named example.txt on the host machine:
echo "Hello, Docker!" > example.txt
  1. Copy the example.txt file to the container1 container:
docker scp example.txt container1:/app

Copying a File from a Container

  1. Create a file named another_example.txt inside the container1 container:
docker exec -it container1 touch /app/another_example.txt
  1. Copy the another_example.txt file from the container1 container to the host machine:
docker scp container1:/app/another_example.txt .

Sequence Diagram

Let's visualize the process of transferring a file from the host machine to a Docker container using a sequence diagram:

sequenceDiagram
    participant HostMachine
    participant DockerContainer
    HostMachine->>DockerContainer: docker scp example.txt container1:/app
    DockerContainer-->>HostMachine: File copied successfully

Conclusion

In this article, we have explored how to use the docker scp command to transfer files between a Docker container and the host machine. This command provides a convenient way to copy files to and from containers, even when they are not running. By following the examples provided in this article, you can easily transfer files between your Docker containers and the host machine. Happy coding with Docker!