What is the difference between CMD and ENTRYPOINT in a Dockerfile?

Question

In Dockerfiles there are two commands that look similar to me: CMD and ENTRYPOINT. But I guess that there is a (subtle?) difference between them -

Answer 1

According to docker docs,

Both CMD and ENTRYPOINT instructions define what command gets executed when running a container. There are few rules that describe their co-operation.

1. Dockerfile should specify at least one of CMD or ENTRYPOINT commands.
2. ENTRYPOINT should be defined when using the container as an executable.
3. CMD should be used as a way of defining default arguments for an ENTRYPOINT command or for executing an ad-hoc command in a container.
4. CMD will be overridden when running the container with alternative arguments.

The tables below shows what command is executed for different ENTRYPOINT / CMD combinations:

-- No ENTRYPOINT

╔════════════════════════════╦═════════════════════════════╗
║ No CMD                     ║ error, not allowed          ║
╟────────────────────────────╫─────────────────────────────╢
║ CMD ["exec_cmd", "p1_cmd"] ║ exec_cmd p1_cmd             ║
╟────────────────────────────╫─────────────────────────────╢
║ CMD ["p1_cmd", "p2_cmd"]   ║ p1_cmd p2_cmd               ║
╟────────────────────────────╫─────────────────────────────╢
║ CMD exec_cmd p1_cmd        ║ /bin/sh -c exec_cmd p1_cmd  ║
╚════════════════════════════╩═════════════════════════════╝

-- ENTRYPOINT exec_entry p1_entry

╔════════════════════════════╦══════════════════════════════════╗
║ No CMD                     ║ /bin/sh -c exec_entry p1_entry   ║
╟────────────────────────────╫──────────────────────────────────╢
║ CMD ["exec_cmd", "p1_cmd"] ║ /bin/sh -c exec_entry p1_entry   ║
╟────────────────────────────╫──────────────────────────────────╢
║ CMD ["p1_cmd", "p2_cmd"]   ║ /bin/sh -c exec_entry p1_entry   ║
╟────────────────────────────╫──────────────────────────────────╢
║ CMD exec_cmd p1_cmd        ║ /bin/sh -c exec_entry p1_entry   ║
╚════════════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════╝

-- ENTRYPOINT ["exec_entry", "p1_entry"]

╔════════════════════════════╦═════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ No CMD                     ║ exec_entry p1_entry                             ║
╟────────────────────────────╫─────────────────────────────────────────────────╢
║ CMD ["exec_cmd", "p1_cmd"] ║ exec_entry p1_entry exec_cmd p1_cmd             ║
╟────────────────────────────╫─────────────────────────────────────────────────╢
║ CMD ["p1_cmd", "p2_cmd"]   ║ exec_entry p1_entry p1_cmd p2_cmd               ║
╟────────────────────────────╫─────────────────────────────────────────────────╢
║ CMD exec_cmd p1_cmd        ║ exec_entry p1_entry /bin/sh -c exec_cmd p1_cmd  ║
╚════════════════════════════╩═════════════════════════════════════════════════╝