How To Remove Docker Containers, Images, Volumes in an automated way

Docker is an open-source containerization platform that allows you to quickly build, test, and deploy applications as portable containers that can run virtually anywhere.

When working with Docker, you can quickly accumulate a large number of unused objects that consume significant disk space. In this article i'll explain different ways to do the housekeeping and provide you a script which will help you to do this work in a automated fashion.

Docker Images Removal

When you download a Docker image, it is kept on the server until you manually remove it.

Removing an image

To remove one or more Docker images, first, you need to find the IDs of the images:

docker image ls

The output should look something like this:

REPOSITORY                           TAG                 IMAGE ID            CREATED             SIZE
k8s.gcr.io/kube-apiserver            v1.21.3             3d174f00aa39        3 weeks ago         126 MB
k8s.gcr.io/kube-scheduler            v1.21.3             6be0dc1302e3        3 weeks ago         50.6 MB
k8s.gcr.io/kube-controller-manager   v1.21.3             bc2bb319a703        3 weeks ago         120 MB
k8s.gcr.io/kube-proxy                v1.21.3             adb2816ea823        3 weeks ago         103 MB
docker.io/weaveworks/weave-npc       2.8.1               7f92d556d4ff        6 months ago        39.3 MB
docker.io/weaveworks/weave-kube      2.8.1               df29c0a4002c        6 months ago        89 MB
k8s.gcr.io/pause                     3.4.1               0f8457a4c2ec        7 months ago        683 kB
k8s.gcr.io/coredns/coredns           v1.8.0              296a6d5035e2        9 months ago        42.5 MB
k8s.gcr.io/etcd                      3.4.13-0            0369cf4303ff        11 months ago       253 MB

Once you’ve found the images you want to remove, Note their IMAGE ID and supply it to the docker image rm command. For example, to remove an Image you would fire this command.

docker image rm 3d174f00aa39

Delete docker Images with "" as a tag name.

docker rmi -f $(docker images | grep -w "<none>" | awk {print $3})

Delete dangling docker images.

Docker images consist of multiple layers. Dangling images, are layers that have no relationship to any tagged images. They no longer serve a purpose and consume disk space.

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

Removing all unused images

To remove all images that are not referenced by any existing containeruse the prune command with the -a option:

docker image prune -a
[root@devopszones ~]#docker image prune -a
WARNING! This will remove all images without at least one container associated to them.
Are you sure you want to continue? [y/N] ^C
[root@devopszones ~]#

Delete docker images older then one month.

docker rmi -f $(docker images | awk '{print $3,$4,$5}' | grep '[5-9]\{1\}\ weeks\|years\|months' | awk '{print $1}')

Docker Containers Removal

Docker containers are not automatically removed when you stop them unless you start the container using the --rm flag.

Removing one or more containers

To remove one or more Docker containers, use the docker container rm command, followed by the "CONTAINER ID" of the containers you want to remove.

You can get a list of all containers by firing the docker container ls command with the -a option:

docker container ls -a
[root@devopszones ~]#docker container ls -a
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                    COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS                      PORTS               NAMES
fb408b69ffa7        296a6d5035e2             "/coredns -conf /e..."   29 minutes ago      Up 29 minutes                                   k8s_coredns_coredns-558bd4d5db-d7995_kube-system_eaf88a3a-bca7-42d9-af28-f7b42b0c5c30_2
ab5540625287        k8s.gcr.io/pause:3.4.1   "/pause"                 29 minutes ago      Up 29 minutes                                   k8s_POD_coredns-558bd4d5db-d7995_kube-system_eaf88a3a-bca7-42d9-af28-f7b42b0c5c30_3
afb68869ce93        296a6d5035e2             "/coredns -conf /e..."   29 minutes ago      Up 29 minutes                                   k8s_coredns_coredns-558bd4d5db-4c6d7_kube-system_80603103-374d-4199-a816-473d4282f2b2_2
126f12ef1003        k8s.gcr.io/pause:3.4.1   "/pause"                 29 minutes ago      Up 29 minutes                                   k8s_POD_coredns-558bd4d5db-4c6d7_kube-system_80603103-374d-4199-a816-473d4282f2b2_3
8ee926f9e11c        7f92d556d4ff             "/usr/bin/launch.sh"     29 minutes ago      Up 29 minutes                                   k8s_weave-npc_weave-net-skv44_kube-system_141e11d8-2c38-4478-80ae-bb1e5865cf4a_2
b6a994dfe089        df29c0a4002c             "/home/weave/launc..."   29 minutes ago      Up 29 minutes                                   k8s_weave_weave-net-skv44_kube-system_141e11d8-2c38-4478-80ae-bb1e5865

Once you’ve found the container you want to remove, Note their CONTAINER ID and supply it to the docker container rm command. For example, to remove a container you would fire this command.

docker container rm fb408b69ffa7

Removing all stopped containers

To remove all stopped containers, fire the docker container prune command:

docker container prune
[root@devopszones ~]#docker container prune
WARNING! This will remove all stopped containers.
Are you sure you want to continue? [y/N] ^C
[root@devopszones ~]#

How to remove all containers

To stop all running containers, enter the docker container stop command followed by the containers IDs:

docker container stop $(docker container ls -aq)

Once all containers are stopped, remove them using the docker container rm command, followed by the containers ID list.

docker container rm $(docker container ls -aq)

Delete "Dead" or "Exited" containers.

docker rm $(docker ps -a | grep "Dead\|Exited" | awk '{print $1}')

Or you use Filters:

docker container ls -a --filter status=exited --filter status=created

[root@devopszones ~]#docker container ls -a --filter status=exited --filter status=created CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND CREATED STATUS PORTS NAMES 14510dea6dff df29c0a4002c "/home/weave/init.sh" 45 minutes ago Exited (0) 45 minutes ago k8s_weave-init_weave-net-skv44_kube-system_141e11d8-2c38-4478-80ae-bb1e5865cf4a_0 e40fdaca5d7f bc2bb319a703 "kube-controller-m..." 7 days ago Exited (2) 7 days ago k8s_kube-controller-manager_kube-controller-manager-kubemaster_kube-system_0b1d22461a35cca3c829b6cd644ac7d9_3 85120c0315be 296a6d5035e2 "/coredns -conf /e..." 7 days ago Exited (0) 7 days ago k8s_coredns_coredns-558bd4d5db-4c6d7_kube-system_80603103-374d-4199-a8

Then invoke the rm command in conjuction with it.

docker rm $(docker container ls -a --filter status=exited --filter status=created)

Docker Volumes Removal

To remove one or more Docker volumes, run the `docker volume ls` command to find the ID of the volumes you want to remove.

docker volume ls[root@devopszones]# docker volume lsDRIVER              VOLUME NAME
local               5ad379121efc83f46909e4941240daa346dba16a32c824d013df6f1c0c2b5d7e
local               8c53ca9396cad903193e0c3f5d88f2c34b8c1a6894436d1c569bc2fd77709982
local               966c83e3075b303f45b354167ac58a56ff9a38a658adcda40294190a3a6fd979
local               062570a4e323d66fc524bf1c5545e023aa3f8058f8f4f5e80c9b11de6c1263e0

Once you’ve found the volume you want to remove, Note their VOLUME NAME and supply it to the docker volume rm command. For example, to remove a volume you would fire this command.

docker volume rm 8c53ca9396cad903193e0c3f5d88f2c34b8c1a6894436d1c569bc2fd77709982

Removing all unused volumes

To remove all unused volumes, run the docker volume prune command:

docker volume prune[root@devopszones ~]#docker volume prune
WARNING! This will remove all volumes not used by at least one container.
Are you sure you want to continue? [y/N]

If you want to remove all dangling volumes then, you can invoke folowing command:

docker volume rm -f $(docker volume ls -qf dangling=true)

Removing All Unused Docker Resources

The docker system prune command removes all stopped containers, dangling images, and unused networks:

docker system prune[root@devopszones ~]#docker system prune
WARNING! This will remove:
        - all stopped containers
        - all volumes not used by at least one container
        - all networks not used by at least one container
        - all dangling images
Are you sure you want to continue? [y/N]

Automation

You can make use of this cleanup script to do these jobs for you.


#!/bin/sh -x
result=`which docker`
if [ -z $result ]; then
        echo "Error: DOCKER command seems not to be present in this OS."
        echo "System defaults are missing.Sorry, Quitting from installation"
        echo "Thank You"
        exit 1
else
   DOCKER=$result
fi
result=`which awk`
if [ -z $result ]; then
        echo "Error: AWK command seems not to be present in this OS."
        echo "System defaults are missing.Sorry, Quitting from installation"
        echo "Thank You"
        exit 1
else
   AWK=$result
fi
result=`which grep`
if [ -z $result ]; then
        echo "Error: grep command seems not to be present in this OS."
        echo "System defaults are missing.Sorry, Quitting from installation"
        echo "Thank You"
        exit 1
else
   GREP=$result
fi
echo -e "\n\n =========== Starting the Docker Clean Up Script ================== \n\n"
echo -e "======= Checking Docker images with TAG as 'None' ======"
noneImages=$($DOCKER images | $GREP -w "<none>" | $AWK '{print $3}')
if [ "${noneImages}" != "" ];then
        for nImages in ${noneImages}
        do
          echo ${nImages}
          ${DOCKER} rmi -f ${nImages} >> cleanUpLog
                if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
                        echo -n "\n======= Docker image with ImageId: ${nImages} Deleted Successfully =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                else
                        echo -n "\n======= Error while deleting Docker image with ImageId: ${nImages} =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                fi
        done
else
        echo "\n====================== [Image ID with <none>]:No Docker Images to delete============ \n"
fi

oldContainers=$($DOCKER ps -a | $GREP "Dead\|Exited" | $AWK '{print $1}')
if [ "$oldContainers" != "" ]; then
  echo ""
        for oContainers in $oldContainers
        do
          echo $j
          $DOCKER rm ${oContainers} >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
          if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
                        echo -n "\n ========[Dead|Exited] Docker container with ContainerID: ${oContainers} Deleted Successfully ======= \n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                else
                        echo -n "\n =======[Dead|Exited] Error while deleting Docker image with COntainedID: ${oContainers} =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                fi

        done
else
  echo -e "\n ======= There no Docker containers with status as 'Exited' ====== \n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
fi
echo -e "======= Proceeding to next step, i.e deletion of old images which are two months old =============="
oldImages=$($DOCKER images | $AWK '{print $3,$4,$5}' | $GREP '[9]\{1\}\ weeks\|years\|months' | $AWK '{print $1}')
#echo ${oldImages} >> cleanUpLog
if [ "$oldImages" != "" ]; then
        for i in ${oldImages}
        do
                ${DOCKER} rmi -f ${i} >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
                        echo -n "\n ======= Docker image with ImageId: ${i} Delted Successfully =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                else
                        echo -n "\n ======= Error while deleting Docker image with ImageId: ${i} ======= \n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                fi
        done
else
        echo -e "\n =================== No Docker Images to delete ================== \n"
fi

dangalingImages=$($DOCKER images -qf dangling=true)
if [ "$dangalingImages" != "" ]; then
        for dImages in ${dangalingImages}
        do
                ${DOCKER} rmi -f ${dImages} >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
                        echo -n "\n ======= Docker image with ImageId: ${dImages} Delted Successfully =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                else
                        echo -n "\n ======= Error while deleting Docker image with ImageId: ${dImages} ======= \n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                fi
        done
else
        echo -e "\n =================== No Docker dangaling Images to delete ================== \n"
fi

echo -e "\n =============  Clean up unused docker volumes =========================================\n"
unUsedVolumes=$($DOCKER volume ls -qf dangling=true)
if [ "$unUsedVolumes" != "" ]; then
        for uVolumes in ${unUsedVolumes}
        do
                ${DOCKER} volume rm -f ${uVolumes} >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
                        echo -n "\n ======= Docker image with ImageId: ${uVolumes} Delted Successfully =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                else
                        echo -n "\n ======= Error while deleting Docker image with ImageId: ${uVolumes} ======= \n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
                fi
        done
else
        echo -e "\n =================== No Docker dangaling Images to delete ================== \n"
fi

echo -n "\n\n ============================ END OF SCRIPT ============================= \n\n"

DEVOPSZONES

Recent blogs

How To Remove Docker Containers, Images, Volumes in an automated way

Removing an image

Delete dangling docker images.

Removing all unused images

Delete docker images older then one month.

Docker Containers Removal

Removing one or more containers

Removing all stopped containers

How to remove all containers

Docker Volumes Removal

To remove one or more Docker volumes, run the `docker volume ls` command to find the ID of the volumes you want to remove.

Removing all unused volumes

Removing All Unused Docker Resources

Automation

No comments

Contributors

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Subscribe Us

Please Support this website

Devopszones Page

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Frequent Topics

#!/bin/sh -x
	result=`which docker`
	if [ -z $result ]; then
	echo "Error: DOCKER command seems not to be present in this OS."
	echo "System defaults are missing.Sorry, Quitting from installation"
	echo "Thank You"
	exit 1
	else
	DOCKER=$result
	fi
	result=`which awk`
	if [ -z $result ]; then
	echo "Error: AWK command seems not to be present in this OS."
	echo "System defaults are missing.Sorry, Quitting from installation"
	echo "Thank You"
	exit 1
	else
	AWK=$result
	fi
	result=`which grep`
	if [ -z $result ]; then
	echo "Error: grep command seems not to be present in this OS."
	echo "System defaults are missing.Sorry, Quitting from installation"
	echo "Thank You"
	exit 1
	else
	GREP=$result
	fi
	echo -e "\n\n =========== Starting the Docker Clean Up Script ================== \n\n"
	echo -e "======= Checking Docker images with TAG as 'None' ======"
	noneImages=$($DOCKER images \| $GREP -w "<none>" \| $AWK '{print $3}')
	if [ "${noneImages}" != "" ];then
	for nImages in ${noneImages}
	do
	echo ${nImages}
	${DOCKER} rmi -f ${nImages} >> cleanUpLog
	if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
	echo -n "\n======= Docker image with ImageId: ${nImages} Deleted Successfully =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	else
	echo -n "\n======= Error while deleting Docker image with ImageId: ${nImages} =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	fi
	done
	else
	echo "\n====================== [Image ID with <none>]:No Docker Images to delete============ \n"
	fi

	oldContainers=$($DOCKER ps -a \| $GREP "Dead\\|Exited" \| $AWK '{print $1}')
	if [ "$oldContainers" != "" ]; then
	echo ""
	for oContainers in $oldContainers
	do
	echo $j
	$DOCKER rm ${oContainers} >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
	echo -n "\n ========[Dead\|Exited] Docker container with ContainerID: ${oContainers} Deleted Successfully ======= \n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	else
	echo -n "\n =======[Dead\|Exited] Error while deleting Docker image with COntainedID: ${oContainers} =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	fi

	done
	else
	echo -e "\n ======= There no Docker containers with status as 'Exited' ====== \n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	fi
	echo -e "======= Proceeding to next step, i.e deletion of old images which are two months old =============="
	oldImages=$($DOCKER images \| $AWK '{print $3,$4,$5}' \| $GREP '[9]\{1\}\ weeks\\|years\\|months' \| $AWK '{print $1}')
	#echo ${oldImages} >> cleanUpLog
	if [ "$oldImages" != "" ]; then
	for i in ${oldImages}
	do
	${DOCKER} rmi -f ${i} >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
	echo -n "\n ======= Docker image with ImageId: ${i} Delted Successfully =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	else
	echo -n "\n ======= Error while deleting Docker image with ImageId: ${i} ======= \n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	fi
	done
	else
	echo -e "\n =================== No Docker Images to delete ================== \n"
	fi

	dangalingImages=$($DOCKER images -qf dangling=true)
	if [ "$dangalingImages" != "" ]; then
	for dImages in ${dangalingImages}
	do
	${DOCKER} rmi -f ${dImages} >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
	echo -n "\n ======= Docker image with ImageId: ${dImages} Delted Successfully =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	else
	echo -n "\n ======= Error while deleting Docker image with ImageId: ${dImages} ======= \n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	fi
	done
	else
	echo -e "\n =================== No Docker dangaling Images to delete ================== \n"
	fi

	echo -e "\n ============= Clean up unused docker volumes =========================================\n"
	unUsedVolumes=$($DOCKER volume ls -qf dangling=true)
	if [ "$unUsedVolumes" != "" ]; then
	for uVolumes in ${unUsedVolumes}
	do
	${DOCKER} volume rm -f ${uVolumes} >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	if [ $# -eq 0 ]; then
	echo -n "\n ======= Docker image with ImageId: ${uVolumes} Delted Successfully =======\n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	else
	echo -n "\n ======= Error while deleting Docker image with ImageId: ${uVolumes} ======= \n" >> /tmp/cleanUpLog
	fi
	done
	else
	echo -e "\n =================== No Docker dangaling Images to delete ================== \n"
	fi

	echo -n "\n\n ============================ END OF SCRIPT ============================= \n\n"

DEVOPSZONES

Recent blogs

How To Remove Docker Containers, Images, Volumes in an automated way

Removing an image

Delete dangling docker images.

Removing all unused images

Delete docker images older then one month.

Docker Containers Removal

Removing one or more containers

Removing all stopped containers

How to remove all containers

Docker Volumes Removal

To remove one or more Docker volumes, run the docker volume ls command to find the ID of the volumes you want to remove.

Removing all unused volumes

Removing All Unused Docker Resources

Automation

No comments

Contributors

Popular

Subscribe Us

Please Support this website

Devopszones Page

Recent

Comments

Frequent Topics

To remove one or more Docker volumes, run the `docker volume ls` command to find the ID of the volumes you want to remove.