moby: cannot delete docker images with no repository/tag

Accidentally created a lot of images by running docker build with the same repo/tag, and now I have all these images that can’t be deleted.

[k2 foo (dockerize)] $ uname -a
Linux k2 3.13.0-30-generic #55-Ubuntu SMP Fri Jul 4 21:40:53 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[k2 foo (dockerize)] $ sudo docker -D info
Containers: 46
Images: 64
Storage Driver: aufs
 Root Dir: /var/lib/docker/aufs
 Dirs: 156
Execution Driver: native-0.2
Kernel Version: 3.13.0-30-generic
Debug mode (server): false
Debug mode (client): true
Fds: 10
Goroutines: 9
EventsListeners: 0
Init Path: /usr/bin/docker
Sockets: [unix:///var/run/docker.sock]
WARNING: No swap limit support

[k2 foo (dockerize)] $ sudo docker version
Client version: 1.1.1
Client API version: 1.13
Go version (client): go1.2.1
Git commit (client): bd609d2
Server version: 1.1.1
Server API version: 1.13
Go version (server): go1.2.1
Git commit (server): bd609d2

A demonstration of the problem…

[k2 foo (dockerize)] $ sudo docker images
REPOSITORY          TAG                 IMAGE ID            CREATED             VIRTUAL SIZE
tpt                 v1                  ade46935b7ff        22 hours ago        655.7 MB
<none>              <none>              8ffe63c7fe0c        22 hours ago        655.7 MB
<none>              <none>              05713d75925a        23 hours ago        655.7 MB
<none>              <none>              e2204761e2d2        23 hours ago        655.7 MB
<none>              <none>              9d9bb03c1b31        23 hours ago        655.7 MB
<none>              <none>              0c085c5f4d90        23 hours ago        655.7 MB
<none>              <none>              ee0efbd04005        23 hours ago        547 MB
<none>              <none>              61dcf760957b        23 hours ago        300.3 MB
<none>              <none>              21abc21cba16        23 hours ago        300.3 MB
<none>              <none>              5cff31633fd1        23 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              919267d9932f        24 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              97793a6d1adf        24 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              fab5a70dd326        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              68798be9802c        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              052b05ba5e5b        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              2870051ec7a2        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              80f080076b4c        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              65dc8f9c17a3        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              f87646bfcbd7        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              efcc51f5de92        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              ffaf74c67db8        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              d6aaa3c3f8a0        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              6821b7eee77f        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              e24ed4424008        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
<none>              <none>              b0a59c722ed6        25 hours ago        276.5 MB
ubuntu              14.04               e54ca5efa2e9        3 weeks ago         276.5 MB
training/webapp     latest              31fa814ba25a        7 weeks ago         278.8 MB
[k2 foo (dockerize)] $ sudo docker rmi 8ffe63c7fe0c
Error response from daemon: Conflict, cannot delete 8ffe63c7fe0c because the container 30fc441dc06b is using it, use -f to force
2014/07/16 13:16:52 Error: failed to remove one or more images
[k2 foo (dockerize)] $ sudo docker rmi 30fc441dc06b
Error response from daemon: No such image: 30fc441dc06b
2014/07/16 13:17:00 Error: failed to remove one or more images

About this issue

Original URL
State: closed
Created 10 years ago
Comments: 20 (3 by maintainers)

Most upvoted comments

workaround

sudo docker ps -a | awk '{print $1}' | grep -v CONTAINER | xargs sudo docker rm
sudo docker images | grep "<none>" | awk '{print $3}' | xargs sudo docker rmi

+12

shoenig on Jul 16, 2014

using -f argument, it works for me

$ sudo docker rmi -f a8ce

cnio on Dec 31, 2015

BTW, if you want to remove all your docker images you can pass the output of docker ps -aq to docker rm like this:

$ docker rm $(docker ps -aq)

There’s no need to use the above xargs cmd. That’s just overkill here.

slmingol on Aug 27, 2014

@shoenig 30fc441dc06b is a container not an image, try docker rm 30fc441dc06b try with -f it doesn’t work.

tiborvass on Jul 16, 2014

@shoenig docker ps will list the running containers and docker ps -a will list even the stopped ones. I highly recommend you read http://docs.docker.com/userguide/usingdocker/ as well as other user guides.

tiborvass on Jul 16, 2014

You can begin by : docker kill $(docker ps -q)

And if delete is not working try with (-f):

IMAGES: docker rmi -f $(docker images -aq) => for all images (with forcing (-f)) docker rmi -f <id/sha image> => for one image (with forcing (-f))

CONTAINER: docker rm -f $(docker ps -aq) => for all containers (with forcing (-f)) docker rm -f <id/sha contenair> => for one contenair (with forcing (-f))

VOLUMES: docker volume rm $(docker volume ls -qf dangling=true) => for all volumes

matiti on Aug 17, 2017

If you staged the commits in docker, docker rm/rmi/rm -f won’t work. Use the below command to un stage the commits and remove docker image. $ sudo docker images | grep “<none>” | awk ‘{print $3}’ | xargs sudo docker rmi imagename:tagname

ranjitkumar518 on Dec 22, 2016

Even i faced the same problem and i fixed it as shown below

first remove all the containers using the following sudo docker ps -a -q | xargs -n 1 -I {} sudo docker rm {}

Now you can remove the image that you want using sudo docker rmi 8ffe63c7fe0c

malika15 on Aug 14, 2014