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Docker Console

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Mehdi edited this page Sep 3, 2026 · 2 revisions

Docker Console

SSH Pilot includes a graphical Docker/Podman manager plugin called Docker Console. It works as both:

  • A local Docker manager for the Docker or Podman daemon on your machine (no SSH connection required)
  • A remote container manager for Docker/Podman on any SSH server you already connect to

Every operation runs the docker or podman CLI. Remote hosts use your existing SSH connection — the Docker socket is never exposed to the network.

What It Does

The Docker Console lets you:

  • Manage containers on Local or any SSH host from one UI
  • View all containers (running, stopped, paused)
  • Create new containers, and start, stop, restart, pause, kill, or delete them
  • View live container logs
  • Open an interactive shell inside a container
  • Open published web ports in the browser (with an automatic local port forward for remote hosts)
  • See container resource usage (CPU, memory, network)
  • Manage images, volumes, and networks (including prune)
  • Run Docker Compose operations (up/redeploy, start/stop/restart, down, view compose file)
  • Choose runtime Auto, docker, or podman per host

Prerequisites

  1. Docker or Podman is installed and running on the machine you want to manage (your PC for Local, or the remote server)
  2. Your user can talk to the daemon — either you are in the docker group (Docker), or you use the sudo toggle in the console header
  3. The Docker Console plugin is enabled (it is disabled by default)

Enabling the Docker Console plugin

  1. Open Settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,)
  2. Go to Plugins
  3. Find Docker Console in the list and toggle it ON

Opening the Docker Console

From the application menu (Tools)

  1. Open the application menu (hamburger menu on Linux, File menu on macOS)
  2. Go to Tools
  3. Click Docker Console

If an SSH connection is selected in the sidebar, that host opens. Otherwise the console starts on Local.

You can also open it from the start page when the plugin is enabled.

From the sidebar

  1. Right-click a server in the sidebar
  2. Select Docker Console
  3. A new tab opens for that host (Docker — <name>)

Local Docker Manager

Local is always available in the host picker at the top of the Docker Console — you do not need any SSH connections.

  1. Open Tools → Docker Console (with no server selected), or open the console and pick Local
  2. The dashboard talks to Docker/Podman on your machine
  3. Use the same Containers, Stats, Images, Volumes, Networks, and Compose tabs as for remote hosts

Tips for Local:

  • Use the runtime dropdown (Auto / docker / podman) if both are installed
  • Turn on sudo in the header if your user is not in the docker group
  • On Flatpak, local commands run on the host via flatpak-spawn --host, so Docker/Podman must be installed on the host system

Choosing a Host

The host button at the top of the console opens a picker:

Target What it manages
Local Docker/Podman on this computer
Any SSH connection Docker/Podman on that server over SSH

Switch hosts anytime without closing the tab. You can also keep multiple console tabs open (one per host).

Managing Containers

The Docker Console has these tabs: Containers, Stats, Images, Volumes, Networks, and Compose.

Containers Tab

Shows all containers with their name, image, status, and port mappings.

To create a container:

  • Click the + button in the toolbar
  • Fill in image, ports, volumes, environment, network, and optional limits, then Create

To filter containers:

  • Type in the search bar to filter by name or image
  • Use the status filter to show only running, stopped, or all containers

To manage a container:

  • Right-click any container for the context menu (or use the row actions)
Action What it does
Start Start a stopped container
Stop Stop a running container
Restart Restart the container
Pause / Unpause Temporarily freeze or resume the container
Kill Force-stop a running container
Delete Remove a stopped container
View Logs Open a live log stream (or an in-page log view)
Exec Shell Open an interactive terminal inside the container
Inspect View detailed container configuration

Published TCP ports can be opened in the browser from the container row. On remote hosts, SSH Pilot sets up a local port forward first.

Viewing Container Logs

  1. Right-click a container
  2. Select View Logs
  3. Use the in-page log view (search, errors-only, copy/save) or follow live in a terminal tab

Opening a Shell in a Container

  1. Right-click a running container
  2. Select Exec Shell
  3. A new terminal tab opens with a shell inside the container

Stats Tab

Shows real-time resource usage for running containers:

  • CPU percentage
  • Memory usage
  • Network / block I/O

Stats auto-refresh on a configurable interval (console settings gear).

Images Tab

View and manage images on the host:

  • Pull new images
  • View image history
  • Remove images
  • Prune unused images, volumes, or run a system prune

Volumes Tab

Manage Docker volumes:

  • List all volumes
  • Inspect and remove volumes

Networks Tab

Manage Docker networks:

  • List all networks
  • View network configuration
  • Remove unused networks

Compose Tab

If Compose is available on the host, manage stacks from here:

  • List projects and per-service status
  • Up / redeploy (compose up -d)
  • Start, stop, or restart a project
  • View the compose file
  • Tear down a stack (down)

Sudo Support

If your user needs sudo to run Docker commands, enable the sudo checkbox in the console header. SSH Pilot prompts for your sudo password when needed and caches it for the session.

Troubleshooting

"Cannot connect to Docker daemon"

  • Make sure Docker (or Podman) is running: systemctl status docker (or your Podman service)
  • For Local, confirm the CLI works in a normal terminal: docker ps or podman ps
  • Make sure your user is in the docker group: groups (look for docker), or enable sudo in the console

"Permission denied"

  • Add yourself to the docker group: 
    sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
  • Log out and back in for the change to take effect
  • Or enable the sudo toggle in the Docker Console header

"Docker: command not found" / "Neither Docker nor Podman found"

  • Install Docker or Podman on that machine (local host or remote server)
  • On Flatpak Local, install Docker/Podman on the host OS, not inside the sandbox
  • Try setting the runtime dropdown explicitly to docker or podman

Remote host works in a terminal but not in Docker Console

  • Password-auth SSH connections may need credentials stored so non-interactive Docker commands can run
  • Confirm the connection is normal SSH (Docker Console’s host list only includes SSH connections plus Local)

Next Steps

  • Connections -- Set up SSH connections to your servers
  • Protocols -- Docker/Podman exec connections vs this console
  • Plugins -- Enable or disable the Docker Console plugin
  • Terminal -- Work with multiple terminals
  • File Manager -- Transfer files to and from servers

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