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What is cli?

docker/cli — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-26

5,850GoAudience · developerComplexity · 4/5LicenseSetup · hard

In one sentence

The official source code for the Docker CLI, the command-line tool you use to build images and start containers. Useful if you want to compile Docker from source or contribute to its development.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((docker cli))
    What it is
      Docker command-line tool
      Written in Go
      Official source code
    Build targets
      Linux multi-arch
      Static builds
      Dynamic builds
    Dev workflow
      Builds inside Docker
      Run tests
      Dev shell
    License
      Apache 2.0
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Code map

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An interactive map of this repo's files and how they connect — its source is parsed live in your browser. Click Visualize to build it.

filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Build a custom Docker CLI binary from source for a platform not covered by official releases.

USE CASE 2

Contribute a bug fix or new feature to the Docker CLI by following the repository's containerized development workflow.

USE CASE 3

Run the Docker CLI test suite locally to verify a code change before submitting a pull request.

What is it built with?

Go

How does it compare?

docker/cligolang/oauth2tendermint/tendermint
Stars5,8505,8525,860
LanguageGoGoGo
Setup difficultyhardmoderatehard
Complexity4/52/55/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1h+

Building from source requires Docker itself to already be installed, as the build process runs inside containers.

Free to use, modify, and distribute for any purpose including commercial, as long as you keep the copyright and license notice.

So what is it?

This is the official source code repository for the Docker CLI, the command-line tool that people type commands into when working with Docker. Docker is a system for packaging applications into portable containers so they run consistently across different computers and servers. The CLI is what translates commands like building images or starting containers into instructions the Docker engine acts on. The repository itself is written in Go and is maintained by Docker. It supports building binaries for multiple platforms, including Linux on different processor architectures, and can produce both standard and dynamically linked builds. The repository is developed using Docker, meaning the build process itself runs inside containers rather than relying on a local Go toolchain. The README in this repository is brief and focused almost entirely on instructions for developers who want to build the CLI from source or contribute to it. It covers how to compile the project, run tests, and start an interactive development shell. There is no detailed description of the CLI commands or features within the README itself. The code is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. Export restrictions from the United States government may apply to Docker software, and the repository includes a notice about this.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through how to build the Docker CLI from source on Linux using the repository's containerized build process.
Prompt 2
I want to add a new flag to an existing Docker CLI command. Show me where command definitions live in the docker/cli codebase and how to add the flag.
Prompt 3
How do I run the Docker CLI test suite locally after making a change in the docker/cli repository?
Prompt 4
Explain the development workflow for contributing to docker/cli, how do I start the dev shell and submit a change for review?

Frequently asked questions

What is cli?

The official source code for the Docker CLI, the command-line tool you use to build images and start containers. Useful if you want to compile Docker from source or contribute to its development.

What language is cli written in?

Mainly Go. The stack also includes Go.

What license does cli use?

Free to use, modify, and distribute for any purpose including commercial, as long as you keep the copyright and license notice.

How hard is cli to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.

Who is cli for?

Mainly developer.

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