51

I have to import data files from a user local file C:/users/saad/bdd to a docker container (cassandra), I didn't find how to proceed using docker commands. I'm working on windows 7.

VishnuVS
  • 1,055
  • 2
  • 14
  • 29
Manou
  • 511
  • 1
  • 4
  • 3
  • 3
    Possible duplicate of [Copying files from host to docker container](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/22907231/copying-files-from-host-to-docker-container) – Roman Oct 28 '16 at 21:58

9 Answers9

105

Use docker cp.

docker cp c:\path\to\local\file container_name:/path/to/target/dir/

If you don't know what's the name of the container, you can find it using:

docker ps --format "{{.Names}}"
Alvaro Carvajal
  • 1,306
  • 1
  • 7
  • 6
  • 1
    Thank you Alvaro for your quick answer, but when I try this code: docker cp C:\Users\Saad\bdd-restaurants cassandra:/var/lib/docker/containers, I get this error message: copying between containers is not supported – Manou Oct 28 '16 at 22:49
  • 2
    Also, how can I know the exact path of the container ? – Manou Oct 28 '16 at 22:57
  • 2
    Please don't post duplicate answers, there are already quite a few good answers in the linked question. – Roman Oct 28 '16 at 23:31
  • 1
    Ok, yes but everytime I try copying the files, it shows the same message "copying containers is not supported" do you know what does it mean please ? – Manou Oct 28 '16 at 23:45
  • @R0MANARMY understood. sorry about that. – Alvaro Carvajal Oct 30 '16 at 01:40
  • @Manou I don't think your container has a /var/lib/docker/containers path. Your parent host (where you installed docker) surely does, but not the containers itself. I guess that's why it's giving you that error message. – Alvaro Carvajal Oct 30 '16 at 01:51
  • 3
    One thing to note is that if you are using Docker for windows on Windows 7, and your container is a windows machine, then you will need to first stop the container in order to copy the file. Copying of files is not supported for running windows containers if they are Hyper V containers. The same command will however work fine if ran on Windows Server docker host. https://github.com/moby/moby/issues/31606 – Mandeep Singh May 15 '17 at 10:15
11

When using docker toolbox, there seems to be another issue related to absolute paths.

I am communicating with the containers using the "Docker Quickstart Teminal" which essentially is a MINGW64 environment.

If I try to copy a file with an absolute path to a container, I receive the error message.

$ docker cp /d/Temp/my-super-file.txt container-name:/tmp/
copying between containers is not supported

If I use a relative path, it simply works.

$ cd /d/
$ docker cp Temp/my-super-file.txt container-name:/tmp/

P.S.: I am posting this as an answer because of missing reputation for a comment.

DwightKendall
  • 194
  • 1
  • 3
8

Simple way:

From DockerContainer To LocalMachine

$docker cp containerId:/sourceFilePath/someFile.txt C:/localMachineDestinationFolder

From LocalMachine To DockerContainer

$docker cp C:/localMachineSourceFolder/someFile.txt containerId:/containerDestinationFolder
Imranmadbar
  • 4,681
  • 3
  • 17
  • 30
4

It is not as straight-forward when using docker toolbox. Because docker toolbox has only access to C:\Users\ folder and there is a Oracle Virtual Box Manager in between, when you do get to copy the folder it is not directly copied to the container but instead to a mounted volume handle by Oracle VM machine. Like so:

/mnt/sda1/var/lib/docker/volumes/19b65e5d9f607607441818d3923e5133c9a96cc91206be1239059400fa317611/_data

How I got around this is just editing my DockerFile:

FROM cassandra:latest

ADD cassandra.yml /etc/cassandra/
ADD import.csv /var/lib/cassandra/
EXPOSE 9042

And building it.

mel3kings
  • 8,857
  • 3
  • 60
  • 68
3

If you are using docker-toolbox on windows, use the following syntax

docker cp /C/Users/Saad/bdd-restaurants cassandra:/var/lib/docker/containers

Aparna
  • 47
  • 1
  • 1
    Your answer seems identical to [Alvaro Carvajal's one](http://stackoverflow.com/a/40313917/3982001). Can you please [edit] it and explain why it is different? Otherwise, if it isn't different, please consider that additional answers should add something to what has already been said, otherwise they aren't useful. Thank you! – Fabio says Reinstate Monica Apr 05 '17 at 17:33
  • This helped me realize that when using WSL2 and DevContainers with VS Code, in WSL your drives show up as /mnt/. – ADataGMan Apr 21 '22 at 10:29
3

Use this command will help to copy files from host machine to docker container.

docker cp c:\abc.doc <containerid> :C:\inetpub\wwwroot\abc.doc
Pramod Lawate
  • 615
  • 1
  • 7
  • 21
1

if you are trying to copy file from windows to an EC2 instance use the following in cmd (Putty enabled):

pscp -i "D:\path_to_ppk_key" c:\file_name ubuntu@**.***.**.*:/home/ubuntu/file

Then you can copy to docker in EC2 using 

docker cp /home/ubuntu/file_name Docker_name:/home/
Sincole Brans
  • 186
  • 12
1

For those who are using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), Docker, and DevContainers from VSCode (Visual Studio Code), I was able to make this work by using the WSL command line.

docker cp "/mnt/<drive letter>/source/My First Copy Command"  <container id>:/workspace/destination/path

I also wrote it up in more detail.

ADataGMan
  • 449
  • 1
  • 7
  • 23
0

You can also use volume to mount the file to container on the run:

docker run -v /users/saad/bdd:/myfiles/tmp/

ymichajlow
  • 1