Git Bash And Terminal Setup For Docker

Docker is mostly used from the command line.

Docker Desktop gives you a dashboard, but real Docker work happens in a terminal. You will run commands to pull images, start containers, map ports, view logs, build images, and push images to registries.

That is why a comfortable terminal setup matters.

Which terminal should you use

Use the terminal that fits your operating system and course setup.

On Windows, Git Bash is popular because it gives a Linux-like command style. WSL is also excellent because it gives you a real Linux environment.

PowerShell also works for Docker commands, but some command examples copied from Linux tutorials may need small changes.

Install Git Bash on Windows

If you are on Windows, install Git for Windows. It includes Git Bash.

After installation, open Git Bash and check that basic commands work:

git --version
pwd
ls

Then check Docker:

docker version

If Docker Desktop is running, Git Bash should be able to use the docker command.

Important command-line basics

Before practicing Docker, be comfortable with these terminal commands:

pwd
ls
cd
mkdir
touch
cat
rm
clear

You do not need to become a Linux expert first, but you should be able to move between folders and understand where commands are being run.

This matters because Docker builds often depend on the current directory.

Path and folder awareness

When you run a command like this:

docker build -t my-app .

The dot at the end means "use the current folder as the build context."

If you run the command from the wrong folder, Docker may not find your Dockerfile or application files.

So before building images, always check:

pwd
ls

This small habit prevents many beginner mistakes.

Terminal with EC2

When working with AWS EC2, the terminal is also used to connect to the server.

The command usually looks like this:

ssh -i my-key.pem ubuntu@server-public-ip

Once connected, your terminal is controlling the remote Linux server, not your local machine. Commands like docker ps will show containers running on that EC2 instance.

Useful Docker command checks

After your terminal is ready, check these commands:

docker version
docker ps
docker images
docker run hello-world

If these work, your terminal can communicate with Docker.

Written By: Shiva Srivastava