Docker

Containers, images and Compose projects from the panel: start, stop, logs, a shell.

palv0.1.0Developerbundled

Install in pal

Ships inside pal. Installing puts an editable copy ahead of the bundled one.

Docker: Containers, running first, with ports, status and a state tag
Containers, running first, with ports, status and a state tag
Docker: What a running container can do: stop, logs, shell, restart, remove
What a running container can do: stop, logs, shell, restart, remove
Docker: The last 200 log lines of a container, opened in the panel
The last 200 log lines of a container, opened in the panel
Docker: Running an image: the name and the ports, then docker run -d
Running an image: the name and the ports, then docker run -d
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What it does

Docker

Three live palettes over the docker CLI (docker ps -a, docker images, docker compose ls -a, each with --format '{{json .}}'), listed again when the panel shows once their rows are older than ttl. Podman works through the same commands: set binary to podman, or install its docker alias. Without the binary, or with the daemon not answering, each palette is one inert hint row that says which.

Palettes

Docker Containers (docker): every container, the running ones first in a Running section, the rest under Stopped. The row is the container's name, its image the subtitle; on the right the published ports, compact (80, 443; 8080:80 when host and container differ), docker's status (Up 27 hours, Exited (0) 3 days ago) and a state tag (running green, exited grey, paused and restarting amber, created blue, dead red). The id, the image and the Compose project are keywords, so nginx or the project name finds the container from the root. The detail pane lists id, image, command, status, created, ports, mounts, networks and project.

Docker Images (images): repository:tag (the id for an untagged image), the id as subtitle, size and age on the right. Run asks for a name and ports in a form (host:container pairs, comma separated; a malformed one is refused under the field) and runs docker run -d [--name] [-p …] <image>.

Compose Projects (compose): every project docker knows of, its folder as subtitle, the status text and a tag (running green, a mix amber, exited grey). Every config file of the project is passed with -f.

A command keeps the panel open and lists again, with a toast naming what happened. A command still running after 8 s (a stop whose process ignores SIGTERM, a compose up that pulls) is left to finish on its own and the toast says so; cmd+r later shows the outcome. A failed command keeps the panel open with docker's last stderr line.

Keyboard

Containers:

keys action
enter Stop a running container (asks first), Start a stopped one
cmd+l Logs: docker logs --tail 200, stdout and stderr, in the panel
cmd+t Shell: a terminal running docker exec -it <id> (bash when the image has it, sh otherwise); running containers only
cmd+shift+r Restart
cmd+d Remove: docker rm -f, after a confirm
cmd+c Copy the short id

Images:

keys action
enter Run: the form, then docker run -d
cmd+c Copy id
cmd+d Remove: docker rmi, after a confirm

Compose projects:

keys action
enter Up: compose up -d
cmd+l Logs: compose logs --tail 200
cmd+shift+r Restart
cmd+d Down, after a confirm
cmd+o Open the project folder

Setup

Docker (or Podman) installed and its daemon running; the CLI is looked up on PATH. Nothing else.

Which terminal Shell opens: on macOS the terminal setting (auto takes the first installed of kitty, Ghostty, Alacritty, iTerm2, Terminal); Terminal and iTerm2 are driven through AppleScript, so the first Shell into one of them asks for the Automation permission once. On Linux $TERMINAL, else the first of kitty, foot, alacritty, xterm on PATH.

Settings, [extensions.docker]:

key type default what
binary text docker The CLI to run; podman works.
ttl number (s) 10 How long a listing stays good for before a show lists again. Read when the extension loads.
terminal auto, kitty, Terminal, iTerm2, Ghostty, Alacritty auto macOS only: which terminal Shell opens.

What it does not do

  • Pull, build or push: only what is already on the machine is listed.
  • Remote hosts and contexts beyond what the CLI's own default context points at.
  • Stream logs: Logs is a snapshot of the last 200 lines, read again on the next cmd+l.
  • Wait for a slow command: after 8 s it goes on alone and the toast says so.

Platforms

macOS and Linux. The terminal for Shell is chosen per platform as above; everything else is the same CLI on both.

Palettes 3

  • Dockerdockerlive

    Every container, running first: start, stop, restart, logs, a shell, remove.

    • ↵Stop a running container, start a stopped one
    • ⌘LLogs
    • ⌘TShell in a terminal
    • ⌘DRemove
  • Imagesimageslive

    Local images: run one (name and ports asked), remove, copy the id.

    • ↵Run, after a form for the name and ports
    • ⌘CCopy id
    • ⌘DRemove
  • Composecomposelive

    Compose projects docker knows of: up, down, restart, logs.

    • ↵Up
    • ⌘LLogs
    • ⌘DDown
    • ⌘OOpen project folder

Actions

  • StopA running container; asks first.↵
  • StartA stopped container.↵
  • LogsThe last 200 lines, stdout and stderr, in the panel.⌘L
  • ShellA terminal running docker exec (bash when the image has it, sh otherwise).⌘T
  • Restart⌘⇧R
  • Removedocker rm -f, docker rmi or compose down; asks first.⌘D
  • Copy id⌘C
  • Run…An image: a form for the name and ports, then docker run -d.↵
  • UpA Compose project: compose up -d.↵
  • DownStops and removes the project's containers and networks; asks first.⌘D
  • Open project folder⌘O

Settings

Extension, [extensions.docker]

binary
docker text

The CLI to run: docker, or podman (its docker-compatible commands are what is used).

ttl
10s number

Seconds a listing stays good for: the palettes list again on show only once the rows are older than this. Read when the extension loads.

terminal
Auto select

Which terminal Shell opens. Auto picks the first installed of kitty, Ghostty, Alacritty, iTerm2, Terminal. On Linux $TERMINAL, else kitty, foot, alacritty, xterm. One of auto, kitty, Terminal, iTerm2, Ghostty, Alacritty.

Defaults shown. Change them in pal's settings window or in the config file.