Powershell List Process in Docker Windows Container Produces Empty List

Docker Desktop
1

I need to get the process id of a dotnet application running in a windows container in order to attach a debugger to it, but when I try to list the processess, I get an empty list.

PS > docker exec -it --privileged elated_swartz powershell -Command Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Select-Object ProcessId, CommandLine

ProcessId CommandLine
--------- -----------

PSVersion 5.1.15063.483

Docker Client:
Version: 17.06.0-ce
API version: 1.30
Go version: go1.8.3
Git commit: 02c1d87
Built: Fri Jun 23 21:30:30 2017
OS/Arch: windows/amd64

Docker Server:
Version: 17.06.0-ce
API version: 1.30 (minimum version 1.24)
Go version: go1.8.3
Git commit: 02c1d87
Built: Fri Jun 23 22:19:00 2017
OS/Arch: windows/amd64
Experimental: true

2

I think it’s better to use docker top:

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> docker ps
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                  COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS              PORTS               NAMES
a8448ffb7c15        microsoft/nanoserver   "powershell -c sle..."   22 seconds ago      Up 2 seconds                            romantic_leavitt
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> docker top a8
Name                PID                 CPU                 Private Working Set
smss.exe            868                 00:00:00.734        217.1kB
csrss.exe           888                 00:00:01.000        380.9kB
wininit.exe         932                 00:00:00.156        655.4kB
services.exe        956                 00:00:00.406        1.421MB
lsass.exe           976                 00:00:00.937        2.781MB
svchost.exe         300                 00:00:00.125        1.307MB
svchost.exe         588                 00:00:00.171        1.356MB
svchost.exe         880                 00:00:00.218        1.221MB
svchost.exe         1052                00:00:00.156        1.139MB
svchost.exe         1128                00:00:00.343        4.268MB
svchost.exe         1172                00:00:00.406        2.073MB
svchost.exe         1208                00:00:00.078        1.741MB
svchost.exe         1248                00:00:00.656        4.153MB
svchost.exe         1408                00:00:00.578        3.072MB
CExecSvc.exe        1424                00:00:00.062        819.2kB
powershell.exe      1556                00:00:05.421        16.64MB
3

Is there a way to get the command line arguments per process? Windows does not support arguments to top

4

Hm, your command works fine for me:

docker exec a8 powershell -c "Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Select-Object ProcessId, CommandLine"

ProcessId CommandLine
--------- -----------
        0
        4
      868
      888
      932
      956
      976 C:\Windows\system32\lsass.exe
      300 C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k DcomLaunch
      588 C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k RPCSS
      880 C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k appmodel
     1128 C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe -k LocalServiceNetworkRestricted
     1172 C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs
     1208 C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k LocalService
     1248 C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe -k NetworkService
     1408 C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe -k utcsvc
     1424 C:\Windows\system32\cexecsvc.exe
     1556 powershell -c sleep 3600
      492 C:\Windows\system32\wbem\wmiprvse.exe
      468 powershell -c "Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Select-Object Proce...