arcave tools generate-compose

Writes a docker compose file for the running compose project, built from what the Docker daemon reports about its containers, volumes and networks. It is for a project whose compose file was lost, or was never written.

Synopsis

arcave tools generate-compose -p <compose-project> -o <file> [flags]

This is the spec savepoint create records in a savepoint's project.yaml, minus arcave's own labels and extensions. It is read-only: it stops nothing, takes no lock, opens no store and needs no arcave init. It needs only a reachable daemon, the one docker.* names.

Flags

Flag	Default	Description
-o, --output	(required)	The file to write. A new file is created 0600, since it carries secrets; an existing one keeps its mode, and a symlink is written through.
--force	false	Overwrite the output file if it exists. Without it, an existing file is refused, before the daemon is read.
--absolute-paths	false	Keep every bind source absolute.

Global flags apply — see the CLI reference.

Bind paths

A bind source under the output file's directory becomes ./<path>, so the file finds it from where it lands. A source outside that directory stays absolute. --absolute-paths keeps every source absolute.

What the file holds

The file declares what the containers run with, not what the original file said: an image's own environment, entrypoint and command appear spelled out, and so does every environment value — secrets included. Treat the file as you would the container's docker inspect. A $ is written as $$, as docker compose config writes it, so compose reads every value back as the container has it rather than interpolating it.

The top-level volumes: and networks: keep the names the daemon holds (demo_pgdata, demo_default). Bring the file up as the same compose project and it finds its data; brought up under another -p, it would share the original's volumes.

Output

stdout carries a summary:

stdout

{
  "compose_project": "demo",
  "services": ["db", "web"],
  "path": "/srv/demo/docker-compose.yaml"
}

Errors

Condition	What happens
No compose project named	no compose project named: pass -p/--project-name, or set ARCAVE_PROJECT_NAME
The compose project has no container	compose project "demo": no containers found: bring the compose project up once, or name another project with -p
The output file exists	… already exists: pass --force to overwrite it

Examples

Recover a lost compose file

arcave tools generate-compose -p demo -o docker-compose.yaml
docker compose -p demo -f docker-compose.yaml config