How to Copy Files from the Host to Docker Container

One of the essential tasks in Docker is copying files from the host machine to the Docker container. This tutorial will guide you through the process of copying files from the host to the Docker container.

Step 1: Identify the Container and its ID

Before copying files, you need to identify the container’s name or ID to which you want to copy the files. To do this, use the following command:

docker ps

This command will display all the running containers along with their container ID, name, image, and other details. Identify the container to which you want to copy the files.

Step 2: Copy Files to the Container

Once you have identified the container, you can copy files to it using the docker cp command. The syntax for this command is as follows:

docker cp <path to file on host> <container ID>:<path to destination>

For example, if you want to copy a file named example.txt from the host machine to the container with ID abcd1234 in the /usr/src/app directory, the command would be:

docker cp example.txt abcd1234:/usr/src/app

Step 3: Verify the File Copy

To verify whether the file has been copied successfully or not, you can access the container and check if the file exists in the specified directory. To access the container, use the following command:

docker exec -it <container ID> /bin/bash

This command will open a shell inside the container. Once inside the container, navigate to the specified directory and check if the file exists. For example, to check if the example.txt file exists in the /usr/src/app directory, use the following command:

$ cd /usr/src/app
$ ls -l

This command will display a list of files in the directory. If the file exists, it means that the file has been copied successfully.

Copying files from the host machine to the Docker container is a simple process. By using the docker cp command, you can copy files to a running container. Once the files are copied, you can verify their presence inside the container. With this tutorial, you can now easily copy files to your Docker containers and make the necessary changes to your applications.