• How docker generates container's names

    2 min read

    docker names

    Everytime you create a container using docker, if not already set using --name, docker chooses a name for you: you can expect two words with a underscore:

    $ docker run --rm -d alpine sleep 24h
38c4cc4e87762fc113ef174e9a4989e13d21037678abd3fe73840b825f14c7bf
$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE                          COMMAND                  CREATED         STATUS                PORTS                    NAMES
38c4cc4e8776   alpine                         "sleep 24h"              5 seconds ago   Up 3 seconds                                   romantic_shtern

    For this example it was chosen romantic_shtern, but it can use a great variety of words:

    $ docker ps --all | grep -v "Up" | awk '{ print $NF }'
NAMES
mystifying_poitras
suspicious_shtern
focused_chatelet
keen_mendel
happy_jackson
xenodochial_margulis
kind_blackburn
gallant_pascal
trusting_thompson
(...)

    So, how does Docker generate names for it's containers?

    01/08/2022

    Read more...

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