docker import / docker image import

Description

Import the contents from a tarball to create a filesystem image

Usage

docker image import [OPTIONS] file|URL|- [REPOSITORY[:TAG]]

Extended description

You can specify a URL or - (dash) to take data directly from STDIN. The URL can point to an archive (.tar, .tar.gz, .tgz, .bzip, .tar.xz, or .txz) containing a filesystem or to an individual file on the Docker host. If you specify an archive, Docker untars it in the container relative to the / (root). If you specify an individual file, you must specify the full path within the host. To import from a remote location, specify a URI that begins with the http:// or https:// protocol.

The --change option will apply Dockerfile instructions to the image that is created. Supported Dockerfile instructions: CMD|ENTRYPOINT|ENV|EXPOSE|ONBUILD|USER|VOLUME|WORKDIR

For example uses of this command, refer to the examples section below.

Options

Name, shorthand Default Description
--change , -c Apply Dockerfile instruction to the created image
--message , -m Set commit message for imported image
--platform experimental (daemon)API 1.32+
Set platform if server is multi-platform capable

Examples

Import from a remote location

This will create a new untagged image.

$ docker import http://example.com/exampleimage.tgz

Import from a local file

  • Import to docker via pipe and STDIN.

    $ cat exampleimage.tgz | docker import - exampleimagelocal:new

  • Import with a commit message.

    $ cat exampleimage.tgz | docker import --message "New image imported from tarball" - exampleimagelocal:new

  • Import to docker from a local archive.

    $ docker import /path/to/exampleimage.tgz

Import from a local directory

$ sudo tar -c . | docker import - exampleimagedir

Import from a local directory with new configurations

$ sudo tar -c . | docker import --change "ENV DEBUG=true" - exampleimagedir

Note the sudo in this example – you must preserve the ownership of the files (especially root ownership) during the archiving with tar. If you are not root (or the sudo command) when you tar, then the ownerships might not get preserved.

Parent command

Command Description
docker image Manage images
Command Description
docker image build Build an image from a Dockerfile
docker image history Show the history of an image
docker image import Import the contents from a tarball to create a filesystem image
docker image inspect Display detailed information on one or more images
docker image load Load an image from a tar archive or STDIN
docker image ls List images
docker image prune Remove unused images
docker image pull Pull an image or a repository from a registry
docker image push Push an image or a repository to a registry
docker image rm Remove one or more images
docker image save Save one or more images to a tar archive (streamed to STDOUT by default)
docker image tag Create a tag TARGET_IMAGE that refers to SOURCE_IMAGE