# What is the difference between Running and Starting a Docker container?

In Docker, the difference between running and starting a container is as follows:

- Running a container means that the container is already started and is currently executing its main process. This can be confirmed by using the command `docker ps`, which lists all running containers.
- Starting a container means that the container is not running and needs to be started in order to execute its main process. This can be done using the command `docker start <container_id>`.

When you create a new container using the `docker run` command, it is automatically started and enters a running state. However, if you stop the container using the `docker stop` command, it enters a stopped state and needs to be started again using the `docker start` command.

It is also possible to start a container in a detached mode (i.e., in the background) using the `-d` option with the `docker run` command. This will start the container but will not attach the terminal to it. In this case, you can use the `docker attach` command to attach to the running container and interact with it.