moby/docs/reference/commandline/pause.md

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redirect_from:

• /reference/commandline/pause/ description: The pause command description and usage keywords:

• cgroups, container, suspend, SIGSTOP

  title: docker pause

  Usage:  docker pause CONTAINER [CONTAINER...]
  
  Pause all processes within one or more containers
  
  Options:
    --help   Print usage
  

The docker pause command uses the cgroups freezer to suspend all processes in a container. Traditionally, when suspending a process the SIGSTOP signal is used, which is observable by the process being suspended. With the cgroups freezer the process is unaware, and unable to capture, that it is being suspended, and subsequently resumed.

See the cgroups freezer documentation for further details.