Does the Docker remote API have an equivalent for "docker run --rm ..."?

Question

I'd like to be able to easily clean up containers after they exit. Is this possible with the remote API? (Other than discovering the exit myself and removing with the DELETE/containers endpoint)

score 9 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 17 '17 at 20:50

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larsks answer is now outdated. Docker Remote API 1.25 shifted --rm functionality from client to server. There is an AutoRemove flag under HostConfig when creating a container that does exactly this.

answered Jul 17 '17 at 20:50

Josh

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Might be a couple years late, but this should be the accepted answer now. – Bea Boxler Feb 11 '21 at 17:02

score 8 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 12 '15 at 03:35

The --rm option in the Docker client is entirely a client side option. This is, for example, why you can't combine -d with --rm -- because the client is only able to remove the container on exit if it stays attached to the container.

You could write a clean up script that would periodically run docker ps -f status=exited -q and clean up the result.

You could also achieve something more automated by monitoring the Docker API's /events endpoint and responding immediately to container exits, I guess.

Nice detailed explanation! – Abdullah Jibaly Feb 12 '15 at 04:14 — Abdullah Jibaly, Feb 12 '15 at 04:14

Does the Docker remote API have an equivalent for "docker run --rm ..."?

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