remove undocumented top-level "docker remove" command

thaJeztah · LorenzoBuero · thaJeztah · commit 19a5c5c714f9 · 2025-06-19T15:42:54.000+02:00
This was introduced in 9b54d86, which added `docker container remove` as alias for `docker container rm`. However, due to the `NewRmCommand` being used both for adding the top-level `docker rm` command and for adding the `docker container rm` command, it also introduced a (hidden) top-level `docker remove` command; docker remove --help | head -n1 Usage: docker rm [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...] The command was not documented, and did not appear in `--help` output, nor was auto-complete provided; docker --help | grep remove docker r<TAB> rename (Rename a container) rm (Remove one or more containers) run (Create and run a new container from an image) restart (Restart one or more containers) rmi (Remove one or more images) This patch adds a dedicated, non-exported `newRemoveCommand` to add sub- commands for `docker container`, taking a similar approach as was done in [moby@b993609d5a] for `docker image rm`. With this patch applied, the hidden command is no longer there, but the `docker rm`, `docker container rm`, and `docker container remove` commands stay functional as intended; docker remove foo docker: unknown command: docker remove Run 'docker --help' for more information docker rm --help | head -n1 Usage: docker rm [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...] docker container rm --help | head -n1 Usage: docker container rm [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...] docker container remove --help | head -n1 Usage: docker container rm [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...] [moby@b993609d5a]: moby/moby@b993609 Reported-by: Lorenzo Buero <138243046+LorenzoBuero@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Lorenzo Buero <138243046+LorenzoBuero@users.noreply.github.com> Signed-off-by: Sebastiaan van Stijn <github@gone.nl>
diff --git a/cli/command/container/cmd.go b/cli/command/container/cmd.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func NewContainerCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 		NewPortCommand(dockerCli),
 		NewRenameCommand(dockerCli),
 		NewRestartCommand(dockerCli),
-		NewRmCommand(dockerCli),
+		newRemoveCommand(dockerCli),
 		NewRunCommand(dockerCli),
 		NewStartCommand(dockerCli),
 		NewStatsCommand(dockerCli),
diff --git a/cli/command/container/rm.go b/cli/command/container/rm.go
@@ -27,10 +27,9 @@ func NewRmCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 	var opts rmOptions
 
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
-		Use:     "rm [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...]",
-		Aliases: []string{"remove"},
-		Short:   "Remove one or more containers",
-		Args:    cli.RequiresMinArgs(1),
+		Use:   "rm [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...]",
+		Short: "Remove one or more containers",
+		Args:  cli.RequiresMinArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			opts.containers = args
 			return runRm(cmd.Context(), dockerCli, &opts)
@@ -50,6 +49,15 @@ func NewRmCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
 	return cmd
 }
 
+// newRemoveCommand adds subcommands for "docker container"; unlike the
+// top-level "docker rm", it also adds a "remove" alias to support
+// "docker container remove" in addition to "docker container rm".
+func newRemoveCommand(dockerCli command.Cli) *cobra.Command {
+	cmd := *NewRmCommand(dockerCli)
+	cmd.Aliases = []string{"rm", "remove"}
+	return &cmd
+}
+
 func runRm(ctx context.Context, dockerCLI command.Cli, opts *rmOptions) error {
 	apiClient := dockerCLI.Client()
 	errChan := parallelOperation(ctx, opts.containers, func(ctx context.Context, ctrID string) error {
