How to check if the docker engine and a docker container are running?

Question

In a script, I need to check:

a) Is the docker engine running?
b) Given a container name, is that docker container running?

[the initial wording of this

Answer 1

you can check docker state using: systemctl is-active docker

➜  ~  systemctl is-active docker
active

you can use it as:

➜  ~  if [ "$(systemctl is-active docker)" = "active" ]; then echo "is alive :)" ; fi
is alive :)

➜  ~  sudo systemctl stop docker

➜  ~  if [ "$(systemctl is-active docker)" = "active" ]; then echo "is alive :)" ; fi
 * empty response *