Docker Compose — cp, restart, pause

Additional commands for file operations, service control, and resource management.

docker compose cp

Copy files between host and containers:

# Copy from host to container
docker compose cp ./config.json api:/app/config.json

# Copy from container to host
docker compose cp api:/app/logs ./logs

# Copy directory
docker compose cp ./data db:/var/lib/postgresql/data

docker compose restart

Restart running services (stop + start):

docker compose restart           # Restart all services
docker compose restart api       # Restart specific service
docker compose restart -t 30 db  # 30s timeout for graceful stop

Note: restart does NOT apply compose file changes. Use up --build for that.

docker compose pause / unpause

Freeze containers (SIGSTOP) without stopping them:

docker compose pause             # Pause all
docker compose pause api         # Pause specific service
docker compose unpause           # Unpause all

Feature	pause	stop
Signal	SIGSTOP (freeze)	SIGTERM
Process state	Suspended	Terminated
Memory	Preserved	Released
Resume	unpause	start
Use case	Temporary freeze	Shutdown

docker compose kill

Force stop with SIGKILL:

docker compose kill              # Kill all
docker compose kill api          # Kill specific service
docker compose kill -s SIGUSR1 api  # Custom signal

Use when stop doesn’t work (hung process).

docker compose rm

Remove stopped containers:

docker compose rm              # Remove stopped containers
docker compose rm -f           # Force (no confirmation)
docker compose rm -s           # Stop then remove
docker compose rm -v           # Remove anonymous volumes

docker compose create

Create containers without starting:

docker compose create           # Create all
docker compose create api       # Create specific

docker compose wait

Wait for a service to be running:

docker compose wait api db      # Wait for api and db

Command Comparison Table

Command	Containers	Networks	Volumes	Images
stop	Stops	Keeps	Keeps	Keeps
down	Removes	Removes	Keeps	Keeps
down -v	Removes	Removes	Removes	Keeps
down --rmi all	Removes	Removes	Keeps	Removes
kill	Force stops	Keeps	Keeps	Keeps
rm	Removes stopped	Keeps	Keeps	Keeps

Summary

Command	Purpose
cp	Copy files to/from containers
restart	Stop + start services
pause/unpause	Freeze/unfreeze containers
kill	Force stop with signal
rm	Remove stopped containers
create	Create without starting

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Quick Reference

Item	Detail
cp	Copy files between host and container
restart	Stop + start services
pause	Freeze (SIGSTOP) without stopping
kill	Force stop (SIGKILL)
rm	Remove stopped containers
create	Create without starting