Correct way to detach from a container without stopping it

Question

In Docker 1.1.2 (latest), what's the correct way to detach from a container without stopping it?

So for example, if I try:

• docker run -i -t foo /bin/bash or
• docker attach foo (for already running container)

both of which get me to a terminal in the container, how do I exit the container's terminal without stopping it?

exit and CTR+C both stop the container.

Answer 1

Type Ctrl+p then Ctrl+q. It will help you to turn interactive mode to daemon mode.

See https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/commandline/cli/#default-key-sequence-to-detach-from-containers:

Once attached to a container, users detach from it and leave it running using the using CTRL-p CTRL-q key sequence. This detach key sequence is customizable using the detachKeys property. [...]

Answer 2

Update: As mentioned in below answers Ctrl+p, Ctrl+q will now turn interactive mode into daemon mode.

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Well Ctrl+C (or Ctrl+\) should detach you from the container but it will kill the container because your main process is a bash.

A little lesson about docker. The container is not a real full functional OS. When you run a container the process you launch take the PID 1 and assume init power. So when that process is terminated the daemon stop the container until a new process is launched (via docker start) (More explanation on the matter http://phusion.github.io/baseimage-docker/#intro)

If you want a container that run in detached mode all the time, i suggest you use

docker run -d foo 

With an ssh server on the container. (easiest way is to follow the dockerizing openssh tutorial https://docs.docker.com/engine/examples/running_ssh_service/)

Or you can just relaunch your container via

docker start foo 

(it will be detached by default)