Why can't I use Docker CMD multiple times to run multiple services?

Question

I have built a base image from Dockerfile named centos+ssh. In centos+ssh's Dockerfile, I use CMD to run ssh service.

Then I want to build a image run other service named rabbitmq,the Dockerfile:

FROM centos+ssh
EXPOSE 22
EXPOSE 4149
CMD /opt/mq/sbin/rabbitmq-server start

To start rabbitmq container，run：

docker run -d -p 222:22 -p 4149:4149 rabbitmq

but ssh service doesn't work, it sense rabbitmq's Dockerfile CMD override centos's CMD.

1. How does CMD work inside docker image?
2. If I want to run multiple service, how to? Using supervisor?

Answer 1

You are right, the second Dockerfile will overwrite the CMD command of the first one. Docker will always run a single command, not more. So at the end of your Dockerfile, you can specify one command to run. Not more.

But you can execute both commands in one line:

FROM centos+ssh
EXPOSE 22
EXPOSE 4149
CMD service sshd start && /opt/mq/sbin/rabbitmq-server start

What you could also do to make your Dockerfile a little bit cleaner, you could put your CMD commands to an extra file:

FROM centos+ssh
EXPOSE 22
EXPOSE 4149
CMD sh /home/centos/all_your_commands.sh

And a file like this:

service sshd start &
/opt/mq/sbin/rabbitmq-server start