How to Safely Restart the Docker Daemon on Linux Using systemctl
On Linux systems running Docker Engine as a systemd service, the daemon can be restarted using the command 'sudo systemctl restart docker', followed by verification via 'systemctl status docker' and 'docker info'. The Docker daemon, known as dockerd, is a host-level process responsible for managing containers, images, networks, and volumes — distinct from individual container restarts. By default, restarting the daemon shuts down running containers, but Docker's live-restore feature can keep standalone containers running during daemon downtime when enabled in /etc/docker/daemon.json. Configuration changes to daemon.json or systemd unit files may require a daemon restart, and users should run 'systemctl daemon-reload' before restarting if unit files were modified. For rootless Docker installations, the per-user systemd service can be restarted without sudo using 'systemctl --user restart docker'.
This is an AI-generated summary. ShortSingh links to the original source for the complete article.


Discussion (0)
Log in to join the discussion and vote.
Log in