Read this tutorial which will help you to understand how to get bash or ssh into a running container in background mode. This tutorial is written by well known experienced DevOps trainer - Rajesh and published on scmGalaxy.
Step 1: First of all, try to find your active container by running
# docker ps
or
# docker ps -a
Step 2: If the container is not running,
# docker start your_id
Step 3: If we use attach we can use only one instance of shell.
# sudo docker attach 665b4a1e17b6 #by ID Read complete tutorial click here
Reference:- This tutorial was originally posted on scmGalaxy.com

Thanks for sharing this guide — it’s really helpful for anyone working with Docker containers and needing to access the shell of a container that’s running in the background. A common scenario in development and debugging is needing to jump into a container to check logs, troubleshoot issues, or run commands interactively, and it’s important to understand that while some people think of using SSH, containers typically don’t run a full SSH service by default, so the more modern and recommended approach is to use Docker’s built-in commands. You can find the container’s name or ID using docker ps, and then use docker exec -it /bin/bash or /bin/sh to open an interactive shell inside the running container — which is simple and works well for most cases without extra setup. This avoids the overhead and security complications of installing and running an SSH daemon inside the container, and keeps the container lightweight and focused on running the application itself. It would be great to see additional tips on how to handle containers that don’t have bash installed or how to automate repeated shell access for debugging workflows!
ReplyDelete