Docker init

Initialize a project with the files necessary to run the project in a container.

Docker 4.18 and later provides the Docker Init plugin with the docker init CLI command. Run docker init in your project directory to be walked through the creation of the following files with sensible defaults for your project:

• .dockerignore
• Dockerfile
• compose.yaml
• README.Docker.md

If any of the files already exist, a prompt appears and provides a warning as well as giving you the option to overwrite all the files.

After running docker init, you can choose one of the following templates:

• ASP.NET Core: Suitable for an ASP.NET Core application.
• Go: Suitable for a Go server application.
• Node: Suitable for a Node server application.
• PHP with Apache: Suitable for a PHP web application.
• Python: Suitable for a Python server application.
• Rust: Suitable for a Rust server application.
• Other: General purpose starting point for containerizing your application.

After docker init has completed, you may need to modify the created files and tailor them to your project. Visit the following topics to learn more about the files:

• .dockerignore
• Dockerfile
• compose.yaml

Example of running docker init

The following example shows the initial menu after running docker init.

$ docker init

Welcome to the Docker Init CLI!

This utility will walk you through creating the following files with sensible defaults for your project:
  - .dockerignore
  - Dockerfile
  - compose.yaml
  - README.Docker.md

Let's get started!

? What application platform does your project use?  [Use arrows to move, type to filter]
 PHP with Apache - (detected) suitable for a PHP web application
  Go - (detected) suitable for a Go server application
  Python - suitable for a Python server application
  Node - suitable for a Node server application
  Rust - suitable for a Rust server application
  ASP.NET Core - suitable for an ASP.NET Core application
  Other - general purpose starting point for containerizing your application
  Don't see something you need? Let us know!
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See Docker Init in action

To see docker init in action, check out the following overview video by Francesco Ciulla, which demonstrates building the required Docker assets to your project.