DOCKER-COMPOSE-EXEC(1)

📦 version 2.26.1, in debian trixie

💅 docker-compose-exec — bestie, we're going INSIDE the container

okay so this is the docker-compose-exec page, from the DOCKER-COMPOSE-EXEC(1) manual, and it's literally the glow-up you need when you wanna poke around a running service. sit down, grab a strawberry 🍓, and let's get into it.

✨ NAME ✨

docker-compose-exec — run a command inside a container that's already up and thriving 👑

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

docker compose exec [OPTIONS] SERVICE COMMAND [ARGS...]

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so basically this is the exact same energy as docker exec, except it's aiming at a Compose service instead of a bare container. same vibe, cuter address 💖

with this subcommand you can run whatever arbitrary commands you want inside your services. and here's the slay: commands allocate a TTY by default, so if you do something like docker compose exec web sh you get yourself a whole interactive prompt. main character energy fr fr 🎀

✨ OPTIONS ✨

  • -d, --detach[=false] — detached mode, bestie: the command runs in the background and you just... go do other things 🦋
  • -e, --env=[] — set environment variables ✨
  • -h, --help[=false] — the help for exec, your little map when you're lost 🗺️
  • --index=0 — the index of the container, for when your service has multiple replicas and you need to pick which one 👯
  • -T, --no-TTY[=true] — turn OFF pseudo-TTY allocation. reminder: by default docker compose exec does allocate a TTY, so this is you opting out 💅
  • --privileged[=false] — give extended privileges to the process. powerful, use with intention ⚡
  • -u, --user="" — run the command as this user 🙋
  • -w, --workdir="" — path to the workdir directory for this command 📁

✨ OPTIONS INHERITED FROM PARENT COMMANDS ✨

  • --dry-run[=false] — execute the command in dry run mode, aka a little rehearsal before the real performance 🎭

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

ngl, this page is giving "go forth and exec responsibly" 🌸

and that's the whole thing! this lovely little page came from the Mar 2025 release of the DOCKER-COMPOSE-EXEC(1) manual. bye bestie, go run something iconic 🫶💜

📦 where this page comes from