# How can I use docker-compose and docker exec?

**URL:** <https://discuss.circleci.com/t/how-can-i-use-docker-compose-and-docker-exec/5660>\
**Category:** Build Environment\
**Tags:** docker\
**Created:** [August 12, 2016, 9:32am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/how-can-i-use-docker-compose-and-docker-exec/5660 "2016-08-12T09:32:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![amogh-git09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ba0ec/32.png) [@amogh-git09](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/amogh-git09)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2016, 9:32am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/how-can-i-use-docker-compose-and-docker-exec/5660/1 "2016-08-12T09:32:06Z")

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I was using docker-compose fine after including docker 1.10 on circleci. But now I also want to use docker exec and apparently circleci doesn’t support that? Is there a workaround?

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**Author:** ![dr-impossible](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/user_avatar/discuss.circleci.com/dr-impossible/32/23842_2.png) [@dr-impossible](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/dr-impossible)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/how-can-i-use-docker-compose-and-docker-exec/5660/2 "2016-08-19T19:01:46Z")

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Not sure what you’re using docker exec for in your case, but in mine, I run tests in my containers after building them from docker-compose. In that case, I write a separate docker-compose.circleci.yml for circleci with settings appropriate to that environment.

The option `--abort-on-container-exit` will tear down your swarm when one of the containers exits, for example when your tests finish. E.g.:

```auto
docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.circleci.yml up --abort-on-container-exit

```

By not using the `-d` option with `docker-compose` all of the output gets passed along to CircleCI.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/circleci/original/3X/5/1/511608acda8e85906e15909b57bd0a46c1dbe291.png) [@system](https://discuss.circleci.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 11:38am UTC](https://discuss.circleci.com/t/how-can-i-use-docker-compose-and-docker-exec/5660/3 "2018-06-18T11:38:36Z")

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