Oftentimes you want to remove the stopped or exited containers that you don’t intend to start again.
Here’s how to do it…
$ docker rm `docker ps -a -q -f "status=exited"`
For example,
docker ps -a gives you the list the following containers
> git:(main) docker ps -a
5eca36be7c12 87689a8e1265 "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 7 hours ago Exited (130) 7 hours ago competent_torvalds
e1093949e6cb bec30be74fb3 "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 7 hours ago Exited (1) 7 hours ago unruffled_wiles
8a0f435c8a5d b686192cfc5f "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 8 hours ago Exited (130) 8 hours ago keen_bardeen
c047cfa3b253 saarekaam:0.1 "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 29 hours ago Exited (137) 29 hours ago tender_goldberg
80bd9088b788 19b6e73abb2b "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 29 hours ago Exited (137) 29 hours ago eager_albattani
46a1d61011af 19b6e73abb2b "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (137) 31 hours ago brave_fermat
0d2c1071066e f0fc0f94729e "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (1) 32 hours ago beautiful_sammet
f60a7321ab32 2769272fbbc8 "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (1) 32 hours ago jovial_heisenberg
181aff5f575b 2769272fbbc8 "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (0) 32 hours ago focused_borg
e13f55715c2b 2769272fbbc8 "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (1) 32 hours ago lucid_bartik
581ef651d8ce 9e7ae85c6825 "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (0) 32 hours ago jolly_shaw
a86927a05147 9e7ae85c6825 "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (1) 32 hours ago eager_carver
f4c3784627f1 5a7c50d65bc7 "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (0) 32 hours ago xenodochial_keldysh
27926181cc78 5a7c50d65bc7 "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (1) 32 hours ago romantic_jennings
301348b8c935 83bc63193f8c "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (0) 32 hours ago competent_cori
f6143e6f8bc1 83bc63193f8c "/__cacert_entrypoin…" 32 hours ago Exited (1) 32 hours ago funny_dijkstra
6b1ddcfb15af gnms:0.1 "pypy3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago gnms
e09de0c5d5a8 fcfdcd822485 "--name gnms" 3 weeks ago Created dreamy_ramanujan
5971e11e121b fcfdcd822485 "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago focused_khayyam
43883ac4b298 fcfdcd822485 "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago heuristic_mirzakhani
3aa5b7c8fa31 4ecbcedae7d3 "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago magical_liskov
cb4770e494e9 4ecbcedae7d3 "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago stoic_zhukovsky
e221d6a047e0 bbe5f44bd0ca "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago exciting_saha
311e875a18c8 09c069097d92 "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago practical_dubinsky
f03a192b7863 657ddfb7361a "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago peaceful_jepsen
4d553ecee119 8a7a7c872a4b "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago interesting_lalande
82589ec89861 8a7a7c872a4b "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago vigilant_mayer
08eee73971f2 09db4d71eae6 "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago magical_cannon
83c108a3b72c 0a31c16014a1 "python3 main.py" 3 weeks ago Exited (0) 3 weeks ago fervent_goldstine
Run the command to remove the “stale” containers
> git:(main) docker rm `docker ps -a -q -f "status=exited"`
5eca36be7c12
e1093949e6cb
8a0f435c8a5d
c047cfa3b253
80bd9088b788
46a1d61011af
0d2c1071066e
f60a7321ab32
181aff5f575b
e13f55715c2b
581ef651d8ce
a86927a05147
f4c3784627f1
27926181cc78
301348b8c935
f6143e6f8bc1
6b1ddcfb15af
5971e11e121b
43883ac4b298
3aa5b7c8fa31
cb4770e494e9
e221d6a047e0
311e875a18c8
f03a192b7863
4d553ecee119
82589ec89861
08eee73971f2
83c108a3b72c
And now, when you list the containers, you’ll notice that the exited ones are cleaned up!
> git:(main) docker ps -a
CONTAINER ID IMAGE COMMAND CREATED STATUS PORTS NAMES
e09de0c5d5a8 fcfdcd822485 "--name gnms" 3 weeks ago Created dreamy_ramanujan