docs: spell out what --wait actually waits for

cmd/compose/start.go

@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ func startCommand(p *ProjectOptions, dockerCli command.Cli, backendOptions *Back
 		ValidArgsFunction: completeServiceNames(dockerCli, p),
 	}
 	flags := startCmd.Flags()
-	flags.BoolVar(&opts.wait, "wait", false, "Wait for services to be running|healthy. Implies detached mode.")
-	flags.IntVar(&opts.waitTimeout, "wait-timeout", 0, "Maximum duration in seconds to wait for the project to be running|healthy")
+	flags.BoolVar(&opts.wait, "wait", false, "Wait until services are running, or healthy if they have a healthcheck. Implies detached mode.")
+	flags.IntVar(&opts.waitTimeout, "wait-timeout", 0, "Maximum duration in seconds to wait for services to be running or healthy")
 
 	return startCmd
 }

cmd/compose/up.go

@@ -170,8 +170,8 @@ func upCommand(p *ProjectOptions, dockerCli command.Cli, backendOptions *Backend
 	flags.StringArrayVar(&up.attach, "attach", []string{}, "Restrict attaching to the specified services. Incompatible with --attach-dependencies.")
 	flags.StringArrayVar(&up.noAttach, "no-attach", []string{}, "Do not attach (stream logs) to the specified services")
 	flags.BoolVar(&up.attachDependencies, "attach-dependencies", false, "Automatically attach to log output of dependent services")
-	flags.BoolVar(&up.wait, "wait", false, "Wait for services to be running|healthy. Implies detached mode.")
-	flags.IntVar(&up.waitTimeout, "wait-timeout", 0, "Maximum duration in seconds to wait for the project to be running|healthy")
+	flags.BoolVar(&up.wait, "wait", false, "Wait until services are running, or healthy if they have a healthcheck. Implies detached mode.")
+	flags.IntVar(&up.waitTimeout, "wait-timeout", 0, "Maximum duration in seconds to wait for services to be running or healthy")
 	flags.BoolVarP(&up.watch, "watch", "w", false, "Watch source code and rebuild/refresh containers when files are updated.")
 	flags.BoolVar(&up.navigationMenu, "menu", false, "Enable interactive shortcuts when running attached. Incompatible with --detach. Can also be enable/disable by setting COMPOSE_MENU environment var.")
 	flags.BoolVarP(&create.AssumeYes, "yes", "y", false, `Assume "yes" as answer to all prompts and run non-interactively`)

docs/reference/compose_start.md

@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ Starts existing containers for a service
 | Name             | Type   | Default | Description                                                                |
 |:-----------------|:-------|:--------|:---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 | `--dry-run`      | `bool` |         | Execute command in dry run mode                                            |
-| `--wait`         | `bool` |         | Wait for services to be running\|healthy. Implies detached mode.           |
-| `--wait-timeout` | `int`  | `0`     | Maximum duration in seconds to wait for the project to be running\|healthy |
+| `--wait`         | `bool` |         | Wait until services are running, or healthy if they have a healthcheck. Implies detached mode. |
+| `--wait-timeout` | `int`  | `0`     | Maximum duration in seconds to wait for services to be running or healthy                      |
 
 
 <!---MARKER_GEN_END-->

docs/reference/compose_up.md

@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ If the process is interrupted using `SIGINT` (ctrl + C) or `SIGTERM`, the contai
 | `--scale`                      | `stringArray` |          | Scale SERVICE to NUM instances. Overrides the `scale` setting in the Compose file if present.                                                       |
 | `-t`, `--timeout`              | `int`         | `0`      | Use this timeout in seconds for container shutdown when attached or when containers are already running                                             |
 | `--timestamps`                 | `bool`        |          | Show timestamps                                                                                                                                     |
-| `--wait`                       | `bool`        |          | Wait for services to be running\|healthy. Implies detached mode.                                                                                    |
-| `--wait-timeout`               | `int`         | `0`      | Maximum duration in seconds to wait for the project to be running\|healthy                                                                          |
+| `--wait`                       | `bool`        |          | Wait until services are running, or healthy if they have a healthcheck. Implies detached mode.                                                      |
+| `--wait-timeout`               | `int`         | `0`      | Maximum duration in seconds to wait for services to be running or healthy                                                                           |
 | `-w`, `--watch`                | `bool`        |          | Watch source code and rebuild/refresh containers when files are updated.                                                                            |
 | `-y`, `--yes`                  | `bool`        |          | Assume "yes" as answer to all prompts and run non-interactively                                                                                     |
 

docs/reference/docker_compose_start.yaml

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ options:
     - option: wait
       value_type: bool
       default_value: "false"
-      description: Wait for services to be running|healthy. Implies detached mode.
+      description: Wait until services are running, or healthy if they have a healthcheck. Implies detached mode.
       deprecated: false
       hidden: false
       experimental: false
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ options:
       value_type: int
       default_value: "0"
       description: |
-        Maximum duration in seconds to wait for the project to be running|healthy
+        Maximum duration in seconds to wait for services to be running or healthy
       deprecated: false
       hidden: false
       experimental: false

docs/reference/docker_compose_up.yaml

@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ options:
     - option: wait
       value_type: bool
       default_value: "false"
-      description: Wait for services to be running|healthy. Implies detached mode.
+      description: Wait until services are running, or healthy if they have a healthcheck. Implies detached mode.
       deprecated: false
       hidden: false
       experimental: false
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ options:
       value_type: int
       default_value: "0"
       description: |
-        Maximum duration in seconds to wait for the project to be running|healthy
+        Maximum duration in seconds to wait for services to be running or healthy
       deprecated: false
       hidden: false
       experimental: false

pkg/api/api.go

@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ type StartOptions struct {
 	OnExit Cascade
 	// ExitCodeFrom return exit code from specified service
 	ExitCodeFrom string
-	// Wait won't return until containers reached the running|healthy state
+	// Wait won't return until containers are running, or healthy if they have a healthcheck
 	Wait        bool
 	WaitTimeout time.Duration
 	// Services passed in the command line to be started