[BUG] Compose won't find Dockerfile when in a symlinked folder

[GeekCornerGH]

Description

Expected: Compose to build the image from the Dockerfile

Current:

[+] Building 0.0s (0/0)           docker:desktop-linux
resolve : The system cannot find the path specified.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Create a folder, then make a symlink pointing to that folder somewhere else. In my case the actual folder was on a separate drive, where the symlink was on the main drive.
2. Create a Dockerfile. You don't to do specific tasks. We just need to get it to be valid. For what I know it might be a placeholder redirecting to another image.
3. Create a Compose file. The name doesn't matters, I could reproduce the bug whenever it was named compose.yaml or docker-compose.yml for example. Make sure it points to the Dockerfile using the build: . directive.
4. Go to the real directory and try the following commands:
   • docker build -t test . --> pass
   • docker compose up -d --build --> pass
5. Down the test compose project (optional, haven't tried without this step)
6. Go to the symlinked directory and try the same commands:
   • docker build -t test . --> pass`
   • docker compose up -d --build --> fail

Compose Version

Docker Compose version v2.35.1-desktop.1

Docker Environment

Client:
 Version:    28.1.1
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.1.7
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-ai.exe
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.23.0-desktop.1
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-buildx.exe
  cloud: Docker Cloud (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.3.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-cloud.exe
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.35.1-desktop.1
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-compose.exe
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.38
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-debug.exe
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.8
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-desktop.exe
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.2
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-dev.exe
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.27
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-extension.exe
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-init.exe
  mcp: Docker MCP Plugin (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  dev
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-mcp.exe
  model: Docker Model Runner (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.11
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-model.exe
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-sbom.exe
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.17.1
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-scout.exe

Server:
 Containers: 2
  Running: 2
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 0
 Images: 2
 Server Version: 28.1.1
 Storage Driver: overlayfs
  driver-type: io.containerd.snapshotter.v1
 Logging Driver: json-file
 Cgroup Driver: cgroupfs
 Cgroup Version: 1
 Plugins:
  Volume: local
  Network: bridge host ipvlan macvlan null overlay
  Log: awslogs fluentd gcplogs gelf journald json-file local splunk syslog
 CDI spec directories:
  /etc/cdi
  /var/run/cdi
 Swarm: inactive
 Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 nvidia runc
 Default Runtime: runc
 Init Binary: docker-init
 containerd version: 05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da
 runc version: v1.2.5-0-g59923ef
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  seccomp
   Profile: unconfined
 Kernel Version: 5.15.167.4-microsoft-standard-WSL2
 Operating System: Docker Desktop
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: x86_64
 CPUs: 12
 Total Memory: 15.5GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: 0204b8f6-71e9-440a-9bb6-a5de617944c2
 Docker Root Dir: /var/lib/docker
 Debug Mode: false
 HTTP Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 HTTPS Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 No Proxy: hubproxy.docker.internal
 Labels:
  com.docker.desktop.address=npipe://\\.\pipe\docker_cli
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
  ::1/128
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false

WARNING: No blkio throttle.read_bps_device support
WARNING: No blkio throttle.write_bps_device support
WARNING: No blkio throttle.read_iops_device support
WARNING: No blkio throttle.write_iops_device support
WARNING: DOCKER_INSECURE_NO_IPTABLES_RAW is set
WARNING: daemon is not using the default seccomp profile

Anything else?

Took me long enough to figure this out, and it surprised me that docker build worked, but not docker compose

[ndeloof]

Can't reproduce

$  ls -l test
total 32
-rw-r--r--  1 nicolas  staff   30  5 mai 08:34 compose.yaml
-rw-r--r--  1 nicolas  staff   12 29 avr 09:20 Dockerfile
$ ls -l link
lrwxr-xr-x  1 nicolas  staff  4  5 mai 08:35 link -> test
$ cd link
$ docker compose up -d --build
...
 => [box] resolving provenance for metadata file                                                                                                                                         0.0s
[+] Running 3/3
 ✔ test                   Built   

[ndeloof]

maybe specific to WSL when symlink points to a distinct windows drive ?

[ndeloof]

Can you please try running with COMPOSE_BAKE=true variable set ?

[GeekCornerGH]

Hi @ndeloof this might indeed be a Windows only problem. With bake, it returns

=> [internal] load local bake definition      0.0s
failed to execute bake: exit status 1

However this issue happens also when in the real folder

Edit: formatting

[ndeloof]

However this issue happens also when in the real folder

Ouch. Unrelated to this issue then, but could you please run COMPOSE_BAKE=true docker compose --verbose build to capture the error and let me investigate ?

[GeekCornerGH]

Sure thing @ndeloof. From the real folder:

time="2025-05-05T15:38:14+02:00" level=debug msg="Enabled Docker Desktop integration (experimental) @ npipe://\\\\.\\pipe\\docker_cli"
time="2025-05-05T15:38:14+02:00" level=debug msg="bake build config:\n{\n  \"group\": {\n    \"default\": {\n      \"targets\": [\n        \"alpine\"\n      ]\n    }\n  },\n  \"target\": {\n    \"alpine\": {\n      \"context\": \"D:\\\\dev\\\\test-docker\",\n      \"dockerfile\": \"D:\\\\dev\\\\test-docker\\\\Dockerfile\",\n      \"tags\": [\n        \"test-docker-alpine\"\n      ],\n      \"output\": [\n        \"type=docker,load=true,push=false\"\n      ]\n    }\n  }\n}"
time="2025-05-05T15:38:14+02:00" level=debug msg="Executing bake with args: [bake --file - --progress rawjson --metadata-file C:\\Users\\Dev\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\compose980585222 --allow fs.read=D:\\dev\\test-docker]"
time="2025-05-05T15:38:14+02:00" level=trace msg="Plugin server listening on @docker_cli_2b04244286d06b447f0e6543342508f7"
[+] Building 0.0s (1/1) FINISHED
 => [internal] load local bake definitions                                                                         0.1s
 => => reading from stdin 354B                                                                                     0.1s
time="2025-05-05T15:38:14+02:00" level=debug msg="otel error" error="<nil>"
time="2025-05-05T15:38:14+02:00" level=debug msg="otel error" error="<nil>"
failed to evaluate path "D:\\dev\\test-docker/D:\\dev\\test-docker\\Dockerfile": CreateFile D:\dev\test-docker\D:: The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect.

[ndeloof]

failed to evaluate path "D:\dev\test-docker/D:\dev\test-docker\Dockerfile

this is actually https://github.com/docker/compose/issues/12669, fixed by https://github.com/docker/buildx/pull/3141

[GeekCornerGH]

this is actually fixed

Glad to hear! What about my initial issue tho?

[GeekCornerGH]

Also dumping this log with COMPOSE_BAKE set to true, in the symlinked folder too.

time="2025-05-05T20:33:30+02:00" level=debug msg="Enabled Docker Desktop integration (experimental) @ npipe://\\\\.\\pipe\\docker_cli"
time="2025-05-05T20:33:30+02:00" level=debug msg="bake build config:\n{\n  \"group\": {\n    \"default\": {\n      \"targets\": [\n        \"alpine\"\n      ]\n    }\n  },\n  \"target\": {\n    \"alpine\": {\n      \"context\": \"C:\\\\Users\\\\Admin\\\\dev\\\\test-docker\",\n      \"dockerfile\": \"C:\\\\Users\\\\Admin\\\\dev\\\\test-docker\\\\Dockerfile\",\n      \"tags\": [\n        \"test-docker-alpine\"\n      ],\n      \"output\": [\n        \"type=docker,load=true,push=false\"\n      ]\n    }\n  }\n}"
time="2025-05-05T20:33:30+02:00" level=debug msg="Executing bake with args: [bake --file - --progress rawjson --metadata-file C:\\Users\\Admin\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\compose1458393954 --allow fs.read=C:\\Users\\Admin\\dev\\test-docker]"
time="2025-05-05T20:33:30+02:00" level=trace msg="Plugin server listening on @docker_cli_2d7e296de89e2638c729dbbe3503a2c4"
[+] Building 0.0s (1/1) FINISHED                                                                                                                     
 => [internal] load local bake definitions                                                                                                      0.1s
 => => reading from stdin 388B                                                                                                                  0.1s 
time="2025-05-05T20:33:30+02:00" level=debug msg="otel error" error="<nil>"
time="2025-05-05T20:33:30+02:00" level=debug msg="otel error" error="<nil>"
failed to evaluate path "C:\\Users\\Admin\\dev\\test-docker": The system cannot find the path specified.

[ndeloof]

is C:\Users\Admin\dev\test-docker the actual path to your build context or the symlink location ? Can you confirm docker build . is successful when ran from this folder ?

[GeekCornerGH]

To be clear, C: is the symlink. docker build . indeed works from here.

[tmarvin-repay]

I am also having this issue but with a junctioned* folder instead of a symlinked one.

The docker compose process works when done from the main/original folder but does not work with the junctioned* version.

[GeekCornerGH]

I meant junctionned instead symlinked indeed

[ndeloof]

probably same cause as https://github.com/docker/compose/issues/12891 docker build . has some dedicated code to manage various corner cases that needs to be replicated

[github-actions[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[GeekCornerGH]

Any update on this bug report?

[stale[bot]]

This issue has been automatically marked as not stale anymore due to the recent activity.