% DOCKER(1) Docker User Manuals % Docker Community % JUNE 2014 # NAME docker-cp - Copy files or folders from a container's PATH to a HOSTDIR or to STDOUT. # SYNOPSIS **docker cp** [**--help**] CONTAINER:PATH HOSTDIR|- # DESCRIPTION Copy files or folders from a `CONTAINER:PATH` to the `HOSTDIR` or to `STDOUT`. The `CONTAINER:PATH` is relative to the root of the container's filesystem. You can copy from either a running or stopped container. The `PATH` can be a file or directory. The `docker cp` command assumes all `PATH` values start at the `/` (root) directory. This means supplying the initial forward slash is optional; The command sees `compassionate_darwin:/tmp/foo/myfile.txt` and `compassionate_darwin:tmp/foo/myfile.txt` as identical. The `HOSTDIR` refers to a directory on the host. If you do not specify an absolute path for your `HOSTDIR` value, Docker creates the directory relative to where you run the `docker cp` command. For example, suppose you want to copy the `/tmp/foo` directory from a container to the `/tmp` directory on your host. If you run `docker cp` in your `~` (home) directory on the host: $ docker cp compassionate_darwin:tmp/foo /tmp Docker creates a `/tmp/foo` directory on your host. Alternatively, you can omit the leading slash in the command. If you execute this command from your home directory: $ docker cp compassionate_darwin:tmp/foo tmp Docker creates a `~/tmp/foo` subdirectory. When copying files to an existing `HOSTDIR`, the `cp` command adds the new files to the directory. For example, this command: $ docker cp sharp_ptolemy:/tmp/foo/myfile.txt /tmp Creates a `/tmp/foo` directory on the host containing the `myfile.txt` file. If you repeat the command but change the filename: $ docker cp sharp_ptolemy:/tmp/foo/secondfile.txt /tmp Your host's `/tmp/foo` directory will contain both files: $ ls /tmp/foo myfile.txt secondfile.txt Finally, use '-' to write the data as a `tar` file to STDOUT. # OPTIONS **--help** Print usage statement # EXAMPLES An important shell script file, created in a bash shell, is copied from the exited container to the current dir on the host: # docker cp c071f3c3ee81:setup.sh . # HISTORY April 2014, Originally compiled by William Henry (whenry at redhat dot com) based on docker.com source material and internal work. June 2014, updated by Sven Dowideit <SvenDowideit@home.org.au>