docker unpause: Resume a Paused Container
Resume a container you froze with docker pause.
docker unpause resumes the processes of a container previously frozen with docker pause. This page covers the behavior and the not-paused error.
What it does
docker unpause un-freezes a paused container via the cgroup freezer, letting its processes continue exactly where they were suspended.
Common usage
Terminal
docker unpause web
docker unpause $(docker ps -q --filter "status=paused")Common errors in CI
"Container ... is not paused" means it was never paused (or already resumed) - check docker ps for the "(Paused)" status. unpause has no effect on a normally running container. Like pause, it is seldom part of a CI pipeline and is mostly a backup/snapshot helper.
Frequently asked questions
docker unpause: Resume a Paused Container?
docker unpause resumes the processes of a container previously frozen with docker pause. This page covers the behavior and the not-paused error.
What it does?
docker unpause un-freezes a paused container via the cgroup freezer, letting its processes continue exactly where they were suspended.
Common errors in CI?
"Container ... is not paused" means it was never paused (or already resumed) - check docker ps for the "(Paused)" status. unpause has no effect on a normally running container. Like pause, it is seldom part of a CI pipeline and is mostly a backup/snapshot helper.
Related guides
docker pause: Freeze a Container ProcessesHow docker pause works: suspending all processes in a container via cgroup freezer, and when to use it versus
docker stop: Gracefully Stop ContainersHow docker stop works: sending SIGTERM then SIGKILL, the grace period, stopping multiple containers, and
docker start: Start Stopped ContainersHow docker start works: restarting an existing stopped container, attaching, and why start differs from run
docker ps: List Containers, Filters & FormattingHow docker ps works: listing running and stopped containers, filters, format strings, and reading exit status