Feature: add DockerContainer.with_copy_file_to_container

What are you trying to do?

Describe the intention of the enhancement.

I'd like to add a file to the container I'm starting, without using volumes.

Why should it be done this way?

Feature-parity with the Java version : https://java.testcontainers.org/features/files/#copying-files

Other references:

It you deem it interesting to implement, as I do, I can implement it.

I have found this remark in a PR : #392 (comment)
Indeed, this PR was not the right place to do it, but to implement it in a new one now would be perfect 😄

In case anyone lands on this and wishes for copying (I use it to pass GCP creds to cloud sql proxy container, volume mount doesn't work on Linux), I use this rough workaround, the key point is to set restart policy on failure to allow it to fail as expected on missing creds file until the copy completes.

# Roughly based on proposed logic in https://github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-python/pull/676/files
def copy_file_to_container(container: DockerContainer, host_path: str, container_path: str, mode: int):
    data = BytesIO()

    def set_mode(tarinfo: tarfile.TarInfo):
        tarinfo.mode = mode
        return tarinfo

    with tarfile.open(fileobj=data, mode='w') as tar:
        tar.add(host_path, arcname=container_path, filter=set_mode)

    data.seek(0)
    if not container._container.put_archive('/', data):
        raise Exception('Failed to copy file to container')

with (
        DockerContainer('gcr.io/cloud-sql-connectors/cloud-sql-proxy:2.14.3')
        .with_command(
            '--address 0.0.0.0 --health-check --http-address 0.0.0.0 foo'
        )
        .with_exposed_ports(5432, 9090)
        .with_env(environment_vars.CREDENTIALS, '/creds/creds.json')
        # Currently there is no way to copy a file before container starts, so we workaround by allowing the container
        # to restart on failure, which will stop when the copy has completed.
        # https://github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-python/pull/676#discussion_r1934888327
        .with_kwargs(restart_policy={'Name': 'on-failure', 'MaximumRetryCount': 100})
    ) as container:
        copy_file_to_container(container, creds_path, '/creds/creds.json', 0o644)
        wait_for_logs(container, 'The proxy has started successfully and is ready for new connections!')

@anuraaga

From @anuraaga comment:

... the key point is to set restart policy on failure to allow it to fail as expected on missing creds file until the copy completes.

The need to restart the container I think is somewhat due to the fact that there is no way to directly create a container without also starting it, since our implementation of start calls docker_client.run. Ideally what you'd like to do here is:

docker container create
docker cp
docker start

but there's no direct way to do that here. You could potentially directly use the some methods in docker.client.containers to achieve the same as well

its a known bug, this library needs to start creating containers before starting them at some point

…

On Mon, Jun 16, 2025 at 1:54 PM Ryan Hoban ***@***.***> wrote: *rhoban13* left a comment (testcontainers/testcontainers-python#665) <#665 (comment)> From @anuraaga <https://github.com/anuraaga> comment: ... the key point is to set restart policy on failure to allow it to fail as expected on missing creds file until the copy completes. The need to restart the container I think is somewhat due to the fact that there is no way to directly create a container without also starting it, since our implementation of start <https://github.com/testcontainers/testcontainers-python/blob/main/core/testcontainers/core/container.py#L176> calls docker_client.run. Ideally what you'd like to do here is: docker container create docker cp docker start but there's no direct way to do that here. You could potentially directly use the some methods in docker.client.containers <https://docker-py.readthedocs.io/en/stable/containers.html#module-docker.models.containers> to achieve the same as well — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#665 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ACECGJFQRF7ERARHK7X2ICT3D4AG3AVCNFSM6AAAAABMAC4U3SVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDSNZXGUYTQMJXGY> . You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.*** com>

The linked PR seems to be stalled with a really good point there we need to clarify the interface a bit before moving forward with it. Perhaps we should create a issue or draft PR with simply some tests clarifying that interface?

Hi, just a quick checkup, is this still relevant now that we have container.copy_into_container(my_file, "/tmp/my_file.txt") ready?

@Tranquility2

@Tranquility2 thanks for your contribution, I just tested it locally (commit 0e0bb24, unreleased yet) and indeed I can copy a file into a started container. But that was not the issue I was trying to solve originally, and that I did not express precisely (because I did not know there was such nuance to providing files to a container).

My original issue was that the app started by the container requires a file at startup. Thus, copying the file into the container after it has started does not completely solve it, because it is still timing-dependent.

Looking into what containers offer, what I actually wanted was a bind mount. I don't recall if it was already available at the time, or if I did overlook it. But DockerContainer(image=..., volumes=[("hello.txt", "/app/hello.txt", "ro")] works perfectly.

So my original issue has a solution (and maybe it already did), and the more general issue (of copying to/from a running container) is solved to. In my sense, the issue can be considered solved.

Ok yeah so we still have to make create->copy->start work

…

On Wed, Apr 1, 2026, 10:00 PM Lenormand Julien ***@***.***> wrote: *Lenormju* left a comment (testcontainers/testcontainers-python#665) <#665 (comment)> @Tranquility2 <https://github.com/Tranquility2> thanks for your contribution, I just tested it locally (commit 0e0bb24 <0e0bb24>, unreleased yet) and indeed I can copy a file into a *started* container. But that was not the issue I was trying to solve originally, and that I did not express precisely (because I did not know there was such nuance to providing files to a container). My original issue was that the app started by the container requires a file at startup. Thus, copying the file into the container after it has started does not completely solve it, because it is still timing-dependent. Looking into what containers offer, what I actually wanted was a bind mount. I don't recall if it was already available at the time, or if I did overlook it. But DockerContainer(image=..., volumes=[("hello.txt", "/app/hello.txt", "ro")] works perfectly. So my original issue has a solution (and maybe it already did), and the more general issue (of copying to/from a running container) is solved to. In my sense, the issue can be considered solved. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#665?email_source=notifications&email_token=ACECGJCUNSIUU4GW73H27AT4TXXXZA5CNFSNUABFM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2JONZXKZKDN5WW2ZLOOQXTIMJXGQ3DKOJWGYYKM4TFMFZW63VHMNXW23LFNZ2KKZLWMVXHJLDGN5XXIZLSL5RWY2LDNM#issuecomment-4174659660>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ACECGJEPTDI7DXSRSM5UECD4TXXXZAVCNFSM6AAAAACXJYTFUGVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHM2DCNZUGY2TSNRWGA> . You are receiving this because you commented.Message ID: ***@***.***>

@alexanderankin

@alexanderankin is there an issue for splitting container create/start out of the current start method? Should we create one?

While probably not too hard to do, I can see some careful thought being needed for backwards compatibility with current start behavior.

@rhoban13

@rhoban13 ok i see, im going to create an issue to centralize discussion then.

#997

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Feature: add DockerContainer.with_copy_file_to_container #665

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Feature: add DockerContainer.with_copy_file_to_container #665

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Lenormju commented on Aug 5, 2024

anuraaga commented on Jan 30, 2025

rhoban13 commented on Jun 16, 2025

alexanderankin commented on Jun 17, 2025

anuraaga commented on Jun 17, 2025

rhoban13 commented on Jun 17, 2025

Tranquility2 commented on Apr 1, 2026

Lenormju commented on Apr 2, 2026

alexanderankin commented on Apr 2, 2026

rhoban13 commented on Apr 2, 2026

alexanderankin commented on Apr 2, 2026

alexanderankin commented on Apr 2, 2026

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