Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)¶

Common questions and answers about Docker Pilot.

Installation & Setup¶

Q: How do I install Docker Pilot?¶

A: Install Docker Pilot globally using npm:

npm install -g docker-pilot

For other installation methods, see the Installation Guide.

Q: Do I need Docker installed?¶

A: Yes, Docker Pilot requires Docker and Docker Compose to be installed and running. Docker Pilot is a management tool that works with your existing Docker setup.

Q: What versions of Docker are supported?¶

A: Docker Pilot supports: - Docker Engine 20.10+ - Docker Compose v2.0+ (recommended) or v1.25+ - Docker Desktop for Windows/Mac

Q: Can I use Docker Pilot with existing projects?¶

A: Absolutely! Docker Pilot works with any existing docker-compose.yml file. Just navigate to your project directory and run docker-pilot.

Basic Usage¶

A: Simply run docker-pilot in your project directory:

cd your-project
docker-pilot

A: Yes! Docker Pilot supports both interactive and CLI modes:

# CLI commands
docker-pilot up          # Start services
docker-pilot down        # Stop services
docker-pilot status      # Check status
docker-pilot logs        # View logs

Q: How do I change the language?¶

A: You can change the language in several ways:

Interactive menu: Advanced settings → Change language
CLI: docker-pilot config --set language=pt-br
Environment: export DOCKER_PILOT_LANG=pt-br

Q: What happens on first run?¶

A: On first run, Docker Pilot: 1. Prompts you to select a language 2. Detects your Docker Compose services 3. Creates a docker-pilot.config.json configuration file 4. Shows the main interactive menu

Configuration¶

Q: Where is the configuration file stored?¶

A: Docker Pilot creates a docker-pilot.config.json file in your project directory. This file contains project-specific settings and service configurations.

Q: Can I have different configurations for different environments?¶

A: Yes! You can create multiple configuration files:

docker-pilot.config.json          # Default
docker-pilot.config.dev.json      # Development
docker-pilot.config.prod.json     # Production

# Use specific config
docker-pilot --config docker-pilot.config.dev.json up

Q: How do I reset my configuration?¶

A: Use the reset command:

docker-pilot config --reset

This will restore the default configuration and re-detect your services.

Q: Can I customize service startup order?¶

A: Yes! Edit your configuration file and set priorities:

{
  "services": {
    "database": { "priority": 1 },
    "api": { "priority": 2 },
    "web": { "priority": 3 }
  }
}

Lower numbers start first.

Troubleshooting¶

Q: Docker Pilot says "Docker not running"¶

A: This means Docker daemon is not running. To fix:

Windows/Mac: Start Docker Desktop Linux:

sudo systemctl start docker
# or
sudo service docker start

Q: I get "Permission denied" errors¶

A: This is usually a Docker permissions issue:

Linux: Add your user to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Log out and back in

Windows/Mac: Make sure Docker Desktop is running with proper permissions.

Q: Services aren't starting in the right order¶

A: Docker Pilot respects depends_on in your docker-compose.yml, but you can also set custom priorities in the configuration file.

Q: I see mixed languages in the interface¶

A: This might happen if: 1. Language setting is not saved properly 2. You're using an older version 3. Some translations are missing

Try: docker-pilot config --set language=your-language

Q: Commands are slow to execute¶

A: This could be due to: 1. Large Docker images downloading 2. Docker daemon performance issues 3. System resource constraints

Check Docker status with docker info and system resources.

Features & Functionality¶

Q: Can I run commands on specific services only?¶

A: Yes! Most commands accept service names:

docker-pilot up web api          # Start only web and api
docker-pilot restart database    # Restart only database
docker-pilot logs web           # View logs for web only

Q: How do I scale services?¶

A: Use the scale command:

docker-pilot scale web=3 api=2   # Scale web to 3, api to 2 instances

Q: Can I access container shells?¶

A: Yes! Use the shell command:

docker-pilot shell web           # Open shell in web service
docker-pilot shell --user root web  # Open shell as root

Q: How do I view real-time logs?¶

A: Use the logs command with --follow:

docker-pilot logs --follow       # All services
docker-pilot logs web --follow   # Specific service

Q: Can I clean up Docker resources?¶

A: Yes! Docker Pilot includes cleanup commands:

docker-pilot clean               # Basic cleanup
docker-pilot clean --all         # Remove everything unused

Advanced Usage¶

Q: Can I create custom commands?¶

A: Yes! Docker Pilot supports plugins and custom commands. See the Plugin Development Guide.

Q: How do I integrate Docker Pilot with CI/CD?¶

A: Docker Pilot works great in CI/CD pipelines:

# GitHub Actions example
- name: Start services
  run: docker-pilot up --detach

- name: Run tests
  run: docker-pilot exec web npm test

- name: Cleanup
  run: docker-pilot down --volumes

Q: Can I use Docker Pilot with Docker Swarm?¶

A: Docker Pilot is designed for Docker Compose. For Docker Swarm, you'll need to use docker stack commands directly.

Q: How do I backup my data?¶

A: You can backup volumes and databases:

# Backup database
docker-pilot exec database pg_dump mydb > backup.sql

# Backup volumes
docker run --rm -v myapp_data:/data -v $(pwd):/backup alpine tar czf /backup/data.tar.gz /data

Q: Can I monitor resource usage?¶

A: Yes! Use the status command:

docker-pilot status --detailed    # Shows CPU, memory usage
docker-pilot status --stats       # Resource statistics

Comparison with Other Tools¶

Q: How is Docker Pilot different from Docker Compose?¶

A: Docker Pilot enhances Docker Compose with: - Interactive menu interface - Multi-language support - Smart service management - Health monitoring - Plugin system - Better error messages

Q: Should I replace Docker Compose with Docker Pilot?¶

A: No! Docker Pilot works with Docker Compose, not instead of it. It uses your existing docker-compose.yml files and adds a better interface.

Q: Can I still use regular Docker Compose commands?¶

A: Absolutely! You can mix Docker Pilot and regular Docker Compose commands:

docker-pilot up              # Start with Docker Pilot
docker compose logs web      # View logs with compose
docker-pilot down            # Stop with Docker Pilot

Multi-language Support¶

Q: What languages are supported?¶

A: Currently supported: - English (en) - Default - Portuguese (Brasil) (pt-br) - Complete translation

More languages are planned based on community demand.

Q: How do I contribute translations?¶

A: See the Contributing Guide for translation guidelines and requirements.

Q: Will Docker commands be translated?¶

A: No, Docker commands and output remain in English for consistency. Only the Docker Pilot interface is translated.

Performance & Limits¶

Q: How many services can Docker Pilot handle?¶

A: Docker Pilot can handle as many services as Docker Compose supports. The interface adapts to show large numbers of services efficiently.

Q: Does Docker Pilot add overhead?¶

A: Minimal overhead. Docker Pilot is a thin wrapper around Docker Compose commands and doesn't impact container performance.

Q: Can I use Docker Pilot on low-resource systems?¶

A: Yes! Docker Pilot itself is lightweight. The resource usage depends on your Docker containers, not Docker Pilot.

Getting Help¶

Q: Where can I get more help?¶

A: Several resources are available:

📖 Documentation - Complete guides and references
💬 GitHub Discussions - Community Q&A
🐛 Issues - Bug reports and feature requests
📧 Email Support - Direct support

Q: How do I report a bug?¶

A: Create an issue on GitHub with: 1. Docker Pilot version (docker-pilot --version) 2. Operating system and Docker version 3. Steps to reproduce the issue 4. Expected vs actual behavior 5. Any error messages or logs

Q: How do I request a feature?¶

A: Create a feature request on GitHub with: 1. Clear description of the feature 2. Use case and benefits 3. Example of how it would work 4. Any relevant screenshots or mockups

Q: Is there community support?¶

A: Yes! Join our community: - GitHub Discussions for questions and sharing - Discord server for real-time chat (coming soon) - Regular community calls (announced in discussions)

Licensing & Commercial Use¶

Q: Is Docker Pilot free to use?¶

A: Yes! Docker Pilot is open source under the ISC License, free for both personal and commercial use.

Q: Can I use Docker Pilot in production?¶

A: Absolutely! Docker Pilot is designed for all environments, from development to production.

Q: Can I modify Docker Pilot for my needs?¶

A: Yes! Under the ISC License, you can modify, distribute, and even sell modified versions. See Contributing for guidelines.

Still Have Questions?¶

If you don't find your answer here:

Search the documentation - Many topics are covered in detail
Check GitHub Issues - Your question might already be answered
Join GitHub Discussions - Ask the community
Create a new issue - For bugs, feature requests, or documentation improvements

Help Improve This FAQ

If you have a question that's not covered here, please let us know! We're always improving this FAQ based on user feedback.