How does Docker log streaming work in Zenithal?

Zenithal uses the Docker API's logs endpoint with follow=true to stream logs in real-time as the container produces output.

How do I find specific log entries in containers with large log volumes?

Use the search/filter field in the log view to filter logs by keyword. Matching lines are highlighted for easy identification.

What does 'exec: /bin/sh: not found' mean when opening a terminal?

This error means the container uses a distroless image that does not include a shell. Distroless images are minimal and don't have /bin/sh or /bin/bash.

Can I open multiple terminal sessions to the same Docker container?

Yes, you can open multiple terminal sessions to the same container simultaneously. Each session runs independently.

Back to Tutorials

Container Logs and Terminal

Stream live logs from a container, filter output, and open an interactive terminal session.

Prerequisites

Docker is running
A running container exists

Scenario 1: View Live Logs

Click Containers in the sidebar
Click a running container to open its detail view
The log view opens automatically, streaming logs in real-time
Use the Search field to filter logs by keyword — matching lines are highlighted
Toggle Timestamps to show/hide log timestamps
Toggle Auto-scroll to pin the log view to the bottom as new lines arrive
Click Clear to clear the log view (does not delete actual logs)

Scenario 2: Open a Terminal Session

Find the running container in the Containers list
Click the terminal icon on the container row (tooltip: "Open Terminal")
A terminal session opens using docker exec -it <container-id> /bin/sh
If the container has bash installed, the shell may be /bin/bash instead
Run commands inside the container:

shellsession

/ # ls /
bin    dev    etc    home   lib    media  mnt    opt    proc   root   run    sbin   srv    sys    tmp    usr    var

/ # cat /etc/os-release
NAME="Alpine Linux"
ID=alpine

/ # ps aux
PID   USER     TIME  COMMAND
    1 root      0:00 nginx: master process nginx -g daemon off;
   29 nginx     0:00 nginx: worker process

Type exit or press Ctrl+D to close the terminal session

Scenario 3: Debug a Failing Container

Notice a container with a red "Exited" badge
Click the container to open Inspect
Click the container to open the log view and see error output:

log

2026-02-20 10:32:45 Error: Cannot find module '/app/server.js'
2026-02-20 10:32:45     at Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1145:15)

The error reveals the issue — the expected file is missing from the mount
Fix the file on the host, then right-click the container and click Start

What You'll See

Logs appear in a monospace font with optional timestamps
The search field highlights matches within the log stream
The terminal provides a fully interactive shell session
Log filtering works on the client side — all logs are fetched and filtered locally

Tips

Log streaming uses the Docker API's logs endpoint with follow=true
Very long-running containers may produce large log volumes — use the search/filter to find relevant entries
If the terminal shows "OCI runtime exec failed: unable to start container process: exec: /bin/sh: not found", the container may use a distroless image with no shell
You can open multiple terminal sessions to the same container simultaneously