docker-load

Load a Docker image from stdin

$ docker load < [path/to/image_file.tar]

$ docker load [[-i|--input]] [path/to/image_file.tar]

$ docker load [[-q|--quiet]] [[-i|--input]] [path/to/image_file.tar]

docker load [OPTIONS]

--help
    Show help for the command

-i, --input
    Read from tar archive file, instead of STDIN

-q, --quiet
    Suppress the load output, only show image IDs

The docker load command is used to load images and their associated metadata (like layers and tags) from a tar archive into the Docker image store. This archive is typically created using the docker save command. It's a crucial tool for transferring Docker images between environments, especially in offline or air-gapped scenarios, as it encapsulates the entire image filesystem and configuration into a single portable file.

Unlike docker import, which creates a new image from a tarball of a filesystem (without history or layers), docker load preserves the full image history, layers, and multiple tags. This ensures that the loaded image is identical to the one that was saved, making it suitable for disaster recovery, versioning, and distribution without relying on a remote registry.

The input must be a tar archive containing Docker images, typically created by docker save.

If an image with the same name and tag already exists in the local Docker image store, docker load will overwrite it. Be cautious when loading images that might conflict with existing ones.

docker load does not verify the integrity or security of the loaded images; it simply imports them as provided.

It loads images into the local Docker daemon's image store; it does not automatically run or push these images to a registry.

By default, docker load expects the tar archive to be piped to its standard input (e.g., cat image.tar | docker load). Alternatively, the --input or -i option can specify a file path (e.g., docker load -i image.tar).

docker load preserves the image's full identity, including its layers, history, and all associated tags. This is in contrast to docker import, which creates a new image from a container's filesystem without its layered history.

Ideal for distributing Docker images to environments without internet access or direct access to a Docker registry (air-gapped systems), backing up Docker images, or migrating images between Docker daemons on different hosts without relying on a registry.

The docker load command has been a fundamental part of the Docker CLI since its early versions. It was introduced alongside docker save to provide a mechanism for offline image management, distribution, and backup, complementing the registry-based docker pull and docker push commands. Its core functionality has remained consistent, serving as a reliable method for transporting complete Docker images with their full layer history.

docker save(1), docker import(1), docker export(1), docker images(1), docker push(1), docker pull(1)