Docker opener

Manage your docker containers easily

What is it

It is a tool to simplify everyday work with running containers and compose-projects.

The main features of docker opener:

• Simple shell access to any container
• Managing containers without remembering their full names
• Upgrading images of running containers
• Managing compose-project without entering their work directories
• Recreating running container, especially to start on local built images

Installation

The opener is just a regular docker image it may be used without installation:

docker run --rm -it -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock artemkaxboy/opener [COMMAND] [PARAMS]

Linux aliases can be used to make the command shorter. For only current terminal session:

alias opener='docker run --rm -it -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock artemkaxboy/opener'

Or permanently (re-login required):

echo "alias opener='docker run --rm -it -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock artemkaxboy/opener'" >> ~/.bash_aliases

Powershell installation. Add to profile:

function __opener_alias { 
    docker run --rm -it -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock artemkaxboy/opener $args
}

New-Alias -Name opener -Value __opener_alias

Alias usage

After adding alias you can use short form:

# long
docker run --rm -it -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock artemkaxboy/opener [COMMAND] [PARAMS]
# short
opener [COMMAND] [PARAMS]

Update

$ opener update
Using default tag: latest
latest: Pulling from artemkaxboy/opener
...

How to use

Commands

Special commands

Command	Result
help	Show help message
update	Update (pull) opener image
version	Show opener version

Container commands supported by opener

Command	Regular docker example	Opener short example	Result
--	docker exec -it nginx bash	opener -- ng	Run new shell process in the container and connect
attach	docker attach nginx	opener a ng	Attach local standard input, output, and error streams to a running container
exec	docker exec nginx date	opener e ng date	Run a command in a running container
inspect	docker inspect nginx	opener i ng	Return low-level information on Docker objects
kill	docker kill nginx	opener k ng	Kill one or more running containers
logs	docker logs nginx -f	opener l ng -f	Fetch the logs of a container
pause	docker pause nginx	opener p ng	Pause all processes within one or more containers
port		opener port portainer 443 9443	Temporary forward host port 443 to portainer container to port 9443
recreate		opener recreate ng	Kill and Remove running container and Create and Run the same container
restart	docker restart nginx	opener res ng	Restart one or more containers
rm	docker rm nginx	opener rm ng	Remove one or more containers
start	docker start nginx	opener sta ng	Start one or more stopped containers
stop	docker stop nginx	opener sto ng	Stop one or more running containers
unpause	docker unpause nginx	opener unpause ng	Unpause all processes within one or more containers
upgrade		opener upgrade ng	Pull container's image, Kill and Remove running container, Create and Run the same container with updated image

ng - an example of how to use a part of a name of needed container, e.g. nginx -> ng

Compose commands supported by opener

All regular docker-compose examples must be run in the compose.yaml file directory, whereas opener compose command only requires a part of the name of a running compose-project.

Command	Regular docker-compose example	Opener short example	Result
compose-down	docker-compose down	opener cdown app	Stop and remove resources
compose-kill	docker-compose kill	opener ckill app	Stop and remove composes resources
compose-list		opener clist	Show all compose projects
compose-logs	docker-compose logs	opener clogs app	View output from containers
compose-ps	docker-compose ps	opener cps app	List containers
compose-start	docker-compose start	opener cstart app	Start services
compose-stop	docker-compose stop	opener cstop app	Stop services
compose-top	docker-compose top	opener ctop app	Display the running processes

app - is a name/part of a name of running compose-project, which is usually equals to the name of docker-compose file's directory.

All "Regular docker-compose examples" must be run in the directory of the compose-file, whereas opener commands can be run from anywhere.

Examples

Simple shell access to any container

To access container shell opener checks if the container already have one bash or sh and use it, if not opener will install busybox into the running target container and connect to the container using it. Busybox will be wiped out from the container on disconnecting.

Run any container:

$ docker run -d --name docker-web portainer/portainer-ce
62f87fb2...

Connect it by name:

$ opener web
Found container with name containing: web
...
Installing busybox...
Connecting...
/ # hostname
62f87fb2ce5f
/ # exit
Removing busybox...

By image name:

$ opener port
Found container with image `portainer/portainer-ce` containing `port`
...

By exposed port number:

$ opener 9000
Found container with port containing: 9000
...

By ID:

$ opener 62f8
Found container with ID containing: 62f8
...

Managing containers without remembering their full names

Any supported container command can be performed using a short unique container's attribute.

With Example:

$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE     COMMAND                  CREATED         STATUS        PORTS           NAMES
c072485d836e   postgres  "docker-entrypoint.s…"   6 seconds ago   Up 1 second   5432->5432/tcp  site_database_1
d443a12c54e1   app:v1.0  "/myapp"                 5 seconds ago   Up 3 second   80->8080/tcp    site_app_1

The following commands can be performed:

# restart container by name
opener restart app

# kill container by exposed port
opener kill 5432

# stop container by image name
opener stop postgre

Upgrading images of running containers

Finding run command of container which was run weeks ago might be a challenge. opener can upgrade your containers without manually typing all command.

Example, once run container:

docker run -d --name=netdata \
  -p 19999:19999 \
  -v netdataconfig:/etc/netdata \
  -v netdatalib:/var/lib/netdata \
  -v netdatacache:/var/cache/netdata \
  -v /etc/passwd:/host/etc/passwd:ro \
  -v /etc/group:/host/etc/group:ro \
  -v /proc:/host/proc:ro \
  -v /sys:/host/sys:ro \
  -v /etc/os-release:/host/etc/os-release:ro \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  --cap-add SYS_PTRACE \
  --security-opt apparmor=unconfined \
  netdata/netdata

There is no need to find the whole command again, opener upgrade do the job:

$ opener upgrade netdata
Found container with name `netdata`
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE               COMMAND              CREATED             STATUS                 PORTS                                           NAMES
3348bc4acdb7        netdata/netdata     "/usr/sbin/run.sh"   8 weeks ago         Up 5 weeks (healthy)   0.0.0.0:19999->19999/tcp, :::19999->19999/tcp   netdata

Pulling image `netdata/netdata`...
Recreating `netdata` ...
Copying container `netdata` to `musing_haibt`
Stopping `netdata`
Deleting `netdata`
Renaming container `musing_haibt` to `netdata`
Starting `netdata`
Started `netdata`

Managing compose-project without entering their work directories

Example, sometime earlier compose-project was started:

$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE        COMMAND                  CREATED       STATUS      PORTS           NAMES
c072485d836e   postgres     "docker-entrypoint.s…"   6 weeks ago   Up 6 week   5432->5432/tcp  site_database_1
d443a12c54e1   app:v1.0     "/myapp"                 6 weeks ago   Up 6 week   80->8080/tcp    site_app_1
...            mongo        ...                      6 weeks ago   Up 6 week   ...             site_mongo_1
...            web:v1.0     ...                      6 weeks ago   Up 6 week   ...             site_web_1
...            worker:v1.0  ...                      6 weeks ago   Up 6 week   ...             site_worker_1
...            worker:v1.0  ...                      6 weeks ago   Up 6 week   ...             site_worker_2

It might be a challenge to find compose-file on the server to stop the compose-project, the file could even have been deleted since compose-project was started, in that case the last remaining option was to stop or stop/kill all containers one by one.

opener compose-stop site and opener compose-kill site will help:

$ opener compose-kill site
Found compose with name `site`
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE     COMMAND                 CREATED       STATUS     PORTS     NAMES
c072485d836e   postgres  "docker-entrypoint.s…"  6 weeks ago   Up 6 week  5432/tcp  site_database_1
d443a12c54e1   app:v1.0  "/myapp"                6 weeks ago   Up 6 week  80/tcp    site_app_1
...

Killing site_database_1  ... done
Killing site_app_1       ... done
Killing site_mongo_1     ... done
...

Recreating running container

Example, your project is running with database and many other modules:

$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE        COMMAND                  CREATED       STATUS      PORTS           NAMES
c072485d836e   postgres     "docker-entrypoint.s…"   6 weeks ago   Up 6 week   5432->5432/tcp  site_database_1
d443a12c54e1   app:v1.0     "/myapp"                 6 hours ago   Up 6 hour   80->8080/tcp    site_app_1
...            mongo        ...                      6 weeks ago   Up 6 week   ...             site_mongo_1
...            web:v1.0     ...                      6 weeks ago   Up 6 week   ...             site_web_1

You made a new build of one of your modules app:v1.0 and want to test or run it without restarting the whole compose-project.

opener recreate do it, new container will be created with new build of app:v1.0:

$ docker build -t app:v1.0 .
...
$ opener recreate app
Found container with name `site_app_1` containing `app`
CONTAINER ID  IMAGE     COMMAND   CREATED       STATUS      PORTS         NAMES
d443a12c54e1  app:v1.0  "/myapp"  6 hours ago   Up 6 hour   80->8080/tcp  site_app_1

Recreating `site_app_1` ...
Copying container `site_app_1` to `suspicious_bhabha`
Stopping `site_app_1`
Deleting `site_app_1`
Renaming container `suspicious_bhabha` to `site_app_1`
Starting `site_app_1`
Started `site_app_1`

License

Apache License 2.0, see LICENSE.