moby--moby/docs/reference/commandline/pause.md

<!--[metadata]>
+++
title = "pause"
description = "The pause command description and usage"
keywords = ["cgroups, container, suspend, SIGSTOP"]
[menu.main]
parent = "smn_cli"
+++
<![end-metadata]-->

# pause

    Usage: docker pause [OPTIONS] CONTAINER [CONTAINER...]

    Pause all processes within a container

      --help=false    Print usage

The `docker pause` command uses the cgroups freezer to suspend all processes in
a container. Traditionally, when suspending a process the `SIGSTOP` signal is
used, which is observable by the process being suspended. With the cgroups freezer
the process is unaware, and unable to capture, that it is being suspended,
and subsequently resumed.

See the
[cgroups freezer documentation](https://www.kernel.org/doc/Documentation/cgroups/freezer-subsystem.txt)
for further details.