moving docker images around using ssh and pipe

how to move docker images around using ssh and pipe

For moving some docker images around, or VPN .conf files; sometimes I do this:

from local to remote

docker save alpine:latest | ssh remote-host "cat - | docker import - alpine:latest"

• docker save alpine:lates export or save file

• ssh remote-host ssh to remote-host

• cat - | read from STDIN and pipe it

• docker import - alpine:latest read from STDIN and save it

Then alpine:latest will be available on remote-host

from remote to local

docker import - getmeili/meilisearch < <(ssh remote-host docker save getmeili/meilisearch)

• ssh remote-host ssh to remote-host

• docker save getmeili/meilisearch run this command

• <(CMD) redirect the output back to STDIN

• < read from STDIN

• docker import - getmeili/meilisearch read from STDIN

Then getmeili/meilisearch will be available on local host.

from remote to another remote (by help of a local)

cat - < <(ssh remote-host-1 "cat /home/pf/configs/shf.conf") | ssh remote-host-2 "cat - > /tmp/shf.conf"

In this style, I download shf.conf file from the remote-host (1) and without write it to desk sent it to another remote-host (2).

[ remote-1 ] => [ local (mypc)] => (remote-2)

Actually we can omit cat - < and use:

ssh remote-host-2 "cat - > /tmp/shf.conf" < <(ssh remote-host-1 "cat /home/pf/configs/shf.conf")

And this also sends newline if we be prompt for password , so the third version is better:

ssh remote-host-1  "cat /home/pf/configs/shf.conf" | ssh remote-host-2 "cat - > /tmp/shf.conf"

if docker import gives us error when running the container, we can use docker load instead