% DOCKER(1) Docker User Manuals % Docker Community % JUNE 2014 # NAME docker-commit - Create a new image from a container's changes # SYNOPSIS **docker commit** [**-a**|**--author**[=*AUTHOR*]] [**-c**|**--change**[=\[*DOCKERFILE INSTRUCTIONS*\]]] [**--help**] [**-m**|**--message**[=*MESSAGE*]] [**-p**|**--pause**[=*true*]] CONTAINER [REPOSITORY[:TAG]] # DESCRIPTION Create a new image from an existing container specified by name or container ID. The new image will contain the contents of the container filesystem, *excluding* any data volumes. While the `docker commit` command is a convenient way of extending an existing image, you should prefer the use of a Dockerfile and `docker build` for generating images that you intend to share with other people. # OPTIONS **-a**, **--author**="" Author (e.g., "John Hannibal Smith <hannibal@a-team.com>") **-c** , **--change**=[] Apply specified Dockerfile instructions while committing the image Supported Dockerfile instructions: `CMD`|`ENTRYPOINT`|`ENV`|`EXPOSE`|`LABEL`|`ONBUILD`|`USER`|`VOLUME`|`WORKDIR` **--help** Print usage statement **-m**, **--message**="" Commit message **-p**, **--pause**=*true*|*false* Pause container during commit. The default is *true*. # EXAMPLES ## Creating a new image from an existing container An existing Fedora based container has had Apache installed while running in interactive mode with the bash shell. Apache is also running. To create a new image run `docker ps` to find the container's ID and then run: # docker commit -m="Added Apache to Fedora base image" \ -a="A D Ministrator" 98bd7fc99854 fedora/fedora_httpd:20 Note that only a-z0-9-_. are allowed when naming images from an existing container. ## Apply specified Dockerfile instructions while committing the image If an existing container was created without the DEBUG environment variable set to "true", you can create a new image based on that container by first getting the container's ID with `docker ps` and then running: # docker commit -c="ENV DEBUG true" 98bd7fc99854 debug-image # HISTORY April 2014, Originally compiled by William Henry (whenry at redhat dot com) based on docker.com source material and in June 2014, updated by Sven Dowideit <SvenDowideit@home.org.au> July 2014, updated by Sven Dowideit <SvenDowideit@home.org.au> Oct 2014, updated by Daniel, Dao Quang Minh <daniel at nitrous dot io> June 2015, updated by Sally O'Malley <somalley@redhat.com>