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docker_exec

The docker_exec resource allows you to execute commands inside of a running container. This is equivalent to using the docker exec command and is useful for running commands, scripts, or interactive shells within containers.

Actions

  • :run - Executes the specified command inside the container

Properties

Required Properties

  • container - Name or ID of the container to execute the command in
  • command - Command to execute, structured as an Array similar to CMD in a Dockerfile (alias: cmd)

Optional Properties

  • host - Docker daemon socket to connect to (default: ENV['DOCKER_HOST'])
  • timeout - Seconds to wait for the command to complete (default: 60)
  • returns - Expected return value(s) for the command (default: [0]). Can be a single integer or array of accepted values.

Examples

Basic Command Execution

docker_exec 'create_file' do
  container 'web_app'
  command ['touch', '/tmp/test_file']
end

Custom Return Values

docker_exec 'check_status' do
  container 'app'
  command ['grep', 'pattern', '/var/log/app.log']
  returns [0, 1]  # Accept both found (0) and not-found (1) as valid returns
end

Long Running Commands

docker_exec 'database_backup' do
  container 'database'
  command ['pg_dump', '-U', 'postgres', 'mydb', '>', '/backup/db.sql']
  timeout 300  # 5 minutes timeout for backup
end

Multiple Commands with Shell

docker_exec 'setup_environment' do
  container 'web_app'
  command ['sh', '-c', 'mkdir -p /app/data && chown www-data:www-data /app/data']
end

Notes

  1. The container must be running when executing commands
  2. The command property must be an array where each argument is a separate element
  3. Use sh -c when you need to use shell features like pipes or environment variables
  4. Set appropriate timeouts for long-running commands
  5. Use the returns property to handle commands that may have multiple valid exit codes

Common Use Cases

  • Running database migrations
  • Installing system packages
  • Modifying configuration files
  • Running maintenance tasks
  • Health checks
  • Log inspection