Copying files from Docker container to host

Question

I'm thinking of using Docker to build my dependencies on a continuous integration (CI) server, so that I don't have to install all the runtimes and libraries on the agents themselves. To achieve this I would need to copy the build artifacts that are built inside the container back into the host.

Is that possible?

Answer 1

If you just want to pull a file from an image (instead of a running container) you can do this:

docker run --rm <image> cat <source> > <local_dest>

This will bring up the container, write the new file, then remove the container. One drawback, however, is that the file permissions and modified date will not be preserved.

Answer 2

I am posting this for anyone that is using Docker for Mac. This is what worked for me:

 $ mkdir mybackup # local directory on Mac

 $ docker run --rm --volumes-from <containerid> \
    -v `pwd`/mybackup:/backup \  
    busybox \                   
    cp /data/mydata.txt /backup 

Note that when I mount using -v that backup directory is automatically created.

I hope this is useful to someone someday. :)

Answer 3

Create a path where you want to copy the file and then use:

docker run -d -v hostpath:dockerimag

Answer 4

Create a data directory on the host system (outside the container) and mount this to a directory visible from inside the container. This places the files in a known location on the host system, and makes it easy for tools and applications on the host system to access the files

docker run -d -v /path/to/Local_host_dir:/path/to/docker_dir docker_image:tag

Answer 5

tldr;

$ docker run --rm -iv${PWD}:/host-volume my-image sh -s <<EOF
chown $(id -u):$(id -g) my-artifact.tar.xz
cp -a my-artifact.tar.xz /host-volume
EOF

Longer...

docker run with a host volume, chown the artifact, cp the artifact to the host volume:

$ docker build -t my-image - <<EOF
> FROM busybox
> WORKDIR /workdir
> RUN touch foo.txt bar.txt qux.txt
> EOF
Sending build context to Docker daemon  2.048kB
Step 1/3 : FROM busybox
 ---> 00f017a8c2a6
Step 2/3 : WORKDIR /workdir
 ---> Using cache
 ---> 36151d97f2c9
Step 3/3 : RUN touch foo.txt bar.txt qux.txt
 ---> Running in a657ed4f5cab
 ---> 4dd197569e44
Removing intermediate container a657ed4f5cab
Successfully built 4dd197569e44

$ docker run --rm -iv${PWD}:/host-volume my-image sh -s <<EOF
chown -v $(id -u):$(id -g) *.txt
cp -va *.txt /host-volume
EOF
changed ownership of '/host-volume/bar.txt' to 10335:11111
changed ownership of '/host-volume/qux.txt' to 10335:11111
changed ownership of '/host-volume/foo.txt' to 10335:11111
'bar.txt' -> '/host-volume/bar.txt'
'foo.txt' -> '/host-volume/foo.txt'
'qux.txt' -> '/host-volume/qux.txt'

$ ls -n
total 0
-rw-r--r-- 1 10335 11111 0 May  7 18:22 bar.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 10335 11111 0 May  7 18:22 foo.txt
-rw-r--r-- 1 10335 11111 0 May  7 18:22 qux.txt

This trick works because the chown invocation within the heredoc the takes $(id -u):$(id -g) values from outside the running container; i.e., the docker host.

The benefits over docker cp are:

• you don't have to docker run --name your container before
• you don't have to docker container rm after

Answer 6

I used PowerShell (Admin) with this command.

docker cp {container id}:{container path}/error.html  C:\\error.html

Example

docker cp ff3a6608467d:/var/www/app/error.html  C:\\error.html