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How to Copy Files Between Host and Container

Copying files between your host and a Docker container is a common task: exporting logs, backing up data, or injecting configs. The docker cp command is the simplest and safest way to do this.

This guide shows how to copy files and directories both ways, and how to fix common permission issues.

The docker cp command​

docker cp works like Unix cp, but one side of the path references a container:

docker cp CONTAINER:SRC_PATH DEST_PATH
docker cp SRC_PATH CONTAINER:DEST_PATH
  • CONTAINER can be a name or ID
  • Containers can be running or stopped

Copy from container to host​

docker cp my-container:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf ./nginx.conf

Steps:

  1. Find the container name:

    docker ps -a

  2. Copy the file or directory.

This is commonly used to:

  • extract logs
  • back up configs
  • inspect generated files

Copy from host to container​

docker cp ./nginx.conf my-container:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Restart the container if needed:

docker restart my-container

Copying directories​

Directories are copied recursively by default.

From container to host:

docker cp my-app:/var/log/app ./logs

From host to container:

docker cp ./src my-app:/app/src

Common issues and fixes​

Permission problems​

Files may end up owned by root inside the container.

Check ownership:

docker exec -it my-container ls -l /path

Fix ownership:

docker exec -u 0 my-container chown appuser:appgroup /path

Path not found​

  • Always use absolute paths inside containers
  • Relative paths depend on the container’s working directory

Container not found​

docker cp works on stopped containers too. Verify with:

docker ps -a

When NOT to use docker cp​

For ongoing development or frequent file changes, docker cp is the wrong tool.

Use bind mounts or volumes instead.

Example with Docker Compose:

services:
  web:
    image: nginx
    volumes:
      - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Changes on the host are instantly visible in the container.

Key takeaways​

  • docker cp copies files between host and container safely
  • Works with running or stopped containers
  • Directories are copied recursively
  • Permission issues are common but fixable
  • For development, prefer bind mounts or volumes

Deploy without manual copying​

Deploy on Hostim.dev

On Hostim.dev, you define volumes once in docker-compose.yml and get persistent storage without manual file copying.