Docker Docs

Docker answers drift toward legacy docker-compose v1 patterns and stale Dockerfile syntax, so ground each answer in the live docs at https://docs.docker.com/, not memory, and link the exact page behind every claim.

Route Kubernetes clusters and kubectl to kubernetes-docs, ECS and Fargate to aws-ecs-docs, and AWS CLI commands for ECR to aws-cli-docs. Nomad, Podman and application frameworks belong to their own docs unless the question turns on Docker compatibility, migration, or containerizing that stack.

Workflow

1. Locate the question in references/topic-map.md, a selective index of docs entry points. Done when each part of the question maps to a section of the map, or you have noted that none fits.
2. Search docs.docker.com with the user's exact terms plus Docker vocabulary such as compose.yaml, HEALTHCHECK, buildx, --mount, overlay2, or DOCKER_HOST, starting from the map's pages and the Routing rules below. Done when you hold the one page that most directly answers each part.
3. Read each page down to the relevant section. Done when you have read the passage behind every claim you will make. When a page has moved, been renamed, or stops short, say so and link the nearest authoritative pages.
4. Answer with the direct answer first, each docs link beside the claim it supports, and Dockerfile, Compose or CLI examples only when the user asks or the page needs them. Mark any conclusion that joins several pages as Inference:. Done when every claim cites a specific page, not the docs home.

Routing

• CLI syntax, file formats and APIs: the reference section at https://docs.docker.com/reference/, down to the specific command page such as docker run or docker compose up.
• Install, configure and operate: the manuals at https://docs.docker.com/manuals/, starting with the Engine or Desktop install manual for install questions.
• Task walkthroughs: the guides at https://docs.docker.com/guides/.
• Concepts: Get Started and the Engine overview, before CLI reference pages.
• Compose: the Compose Specification for compose.yaml keys, and the docker compose CLI reference for commands.
• Builds: the Dockerfile reference and the docker build / Buildx docs, before layer-caching advice.
• Networking: the network driver and port publishing docs, before DNS or firewall advice.
• Storage: the volumes, bind mounts and tmpfs manuals, before recommending host paths.
• Engine API: the Engine API version matrix and docker version output semantics, before hardcoding endpoints.

Gotchas

• Default to Compose v2 (docker compose, the plugin); use legacy docker-compose v1 (hyphenated) syntax and behavior only when the user needs it.
• Named volumes and bind mounts differ on persistence and permissions; name which one the answer uses.
• Check the security guidance before recommending latest tags or root-in-container defaults.
• Check the Swarm compatibility notes before carrying Compose file features into a stack deploy.
• Confirm each Dockerfile instruction against the current Dockerfile reference, which marks deprecated ones.