Introduction to Docker

Before installing the Supra CLI, you will need to install Docker. It’s helpful to understand what Docker is, how it works, and why we use it for this setup.

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Prerequisites

• Install Docker Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)

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🔧 What Is Docker?

Docker is a platform that packages applications into lightweight, portable containers. These containers include everything an app needs to run: code, runtime, libraries, and environment variables.

Think of containers as lightweight, isolated virtual machines — but more efficient and faster to start.

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💡 Why Use Docker with the Supra CLI?

Docker provides a consistent, repeatable environment that eliminates:

• 🧩 OS differences (Linux, Mac, Windows)

• ⚙️ Dependency/version mismatches

• ❌ “It works on my machine” issues

With Docker, developers can run the Supra CLI in a pre-configured environment without needing to install the CLI or dependencies locally.

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📦 What Is Docker Compose?

Docker Compose is a tool used to define and run multi-container Docker applications using a YAML file (compose.yaml or docker-compose.yml).

In our case, the Compose file:

• Defines the container configuration for the Supra CLI

• Specifies the image to use

• Sets up bind mounts to share files between your machine and the container

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🔗 Bind Mounts

A bind mount is a way to share directories between your host and the container.

In the Supra CLI setup:

• The supra_configs/ folder on your host is bind-mounted to the configs/ folder inside the container.

• This means anything you write to configs/ inside the container will appear on your host — and vice versa.

📂 Example: ~/Documents/supra/supra_configs ↔ /supra/configs

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🔓 Entering the Shell of a Container

Once a container is running, you can open a terminal session inside it using:

docker exec -it supra_cli /bin/bash

• exec tells Docker to run a command inside an existing container.

• -it allows interactive terminal input/output.

• supra_cli is the name of the container.

• /bin/bash starts a shell session.

This is useful when you want to:

• Run the Supra CLI directly (supra move tool ...)

• Explore the file system

• Debug issues inside the container

💡 Make sure the container is running first: Use docker start supra_cli if needed.

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⚙️ Common Docker Commands

Command	Description
docker ps --all	Lists all containers (running and stopped)
docker start <container>	Starts an existing container
docker stop <container>	Stops a running container
docker exec -it <container> /bin/bash	Enters the shell of a container
docker logs <container>	Prints logs from a container
docker rm <container>	Removes a container
docker images	Lists downloaded Docker images
docker volume ls	Lists Docker volumes (persistent storage)

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🧰 Common Docker Compose Commands

Command	Description
docker compose up -d	Starts containers in detached (background) mode
docker compose down	Stops and removes containers, networks, and volumes
docker compose ps	Lists containers defined in your Compose file
docker compose logs	Shows logs from all Compose services
docker compose restart	Restarts all services defined in the Compose file
docker compose pull	Pulls the latest versions of images from the registry
docker compose build	Builds or rebuilds services defined in the file

✅ You can also use docker compose -f <file> to specify a compose file, including remote files via curl ... | docker compose -f - up.

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📌 Summary

Docker simplifies the Supra CLI experience by:

• Eliminating setup headaches

• Ensuring all developers use the same runtime

• Providing isolated environments with shared config folders

If you're new to Docker, this may feel like a lot — but once set up, you’ll rarely need to modify it again.

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📚 Want to Learn More?

• Docker Overview (Official Docs)
• Docker Compose Overview
• Docker Bind Mounts