Docker history command

Docker command reference


docker historyThe command is used to view the historical layer information of a specified image, showing each layer during the image creation process, including creation time, creator, size, comments, and other information.

Syntax

docker history [OPTIONS] IMAGE
  • IMAGE: The image name or ID whose history is to be viewed.

OPTIONS description:

  • -H, --human: Displays the image size in a human-readable format (enabled by default).
  • --no-trunc: Displays the full output without truncating information.
  • -q, --quietOnly display the image ID.

Example

1. View image history

docker history myimage:latest

Output example:

IMAGE               CREATED             CREATED BY                                      SIZE                COMMENT
sha256:123abc456def 2 days ago          /bin/sh -c #(nop)  CMD ["nginx" "-g" "daemon…   0B
sha256:789ghi012jkl 2 days ago          /bin/sh -c #(nop)  COPY file:abc123 in /var/…   1.5kB
sha256:345mno678pqr 2 days ago          /bin/sh -c apt-get update && apt-get install…   45.3MB
sha256:678stu901vwx 2 days ago          /bin/sh -c #(nop)  LABEL maintainer=yourname…   0B
sha256:901yza234bcd 2 days ago          /bin/sh -c #(nop)  FROM ubuntu:20.04           72.9MB

2. Display full output

docker history --no-trunc myimage:latest

3. Only display the image ID

docker history -q myimage:latest

Output example:

sha256:123abc456def
sha256:789ghi012jkl
sha256:345mno678pqr
sha256:678stu901vwx
sha256:901yza234bcd

Operation examples

Build a simple image

1. Create a Dockerfile:

# 使用 Ubuntu 作为基础镜像
FROM ubuntu:20.04

# 添加维护者信息
LABEL maintainer="[email protected]"

# 更新包列表并安装 Nginx
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y nginx

# 复制自定义网页到 Nginx 的默认网页目录
COPY index.html /var/www/html/

# 设置启动时的默认命令
CMD ["nginx", "-g", "daemon off;"]

2. Build the image:

docker build -t mynginx:latest .

3. View image history

docker history mynginx:latest

Output example:

IMAGE               CREATED             CREATED BY                                      SIZE                COMMENT
sha256:123abc456def 1 minute ago        /bin/sh -c #(nop)  CMD ["nginx" "-g" "daemon…   0B
sha256:789ghi012jkl 1 minute ago        /bin/sh -c #(nop)  COPY file:abc123 in /var/…   1.5kB
sha256:345mno678pqr 1 minute ago        /bin/sh -c apt-get update && apt-get install…   45.3MB
sha256:678stu901vwx 1 minute ago        /bin/sh -c #(nop)  LABEL maintainer=yourname…   0B
sha256:901yza234bcd 1 minute ago        /bin/sh -c #(nop)  FROM ubuntu:20.04

Notes

  • Image history information includes the creation command and size of each layer, helping to understand the build process and contents of the image.
  • Usage--no-truncThe option allows viewing the complete creation command, preventing information truncation.
  • When building complex images, viewing the history can help identify and optimize redundant steps in the Dockerfile.

docker historyThe command is a powerful tool that can help developers and operations personnel understand the build history of an image and detailed information about each layer. By viewing the image history, you can better debug, optimize, and audit Docker images, ensuring the efficiency and security of the images.


Docker command reference

other extensions