Docker desktop crashes when config.json is symlinked

[TeaDrinkingProgrammer]

Description

When I use GNU stow to manage my config.json, Docker desktop crashes. The issue is probably with the fact that GNU stow uses relative links for symlinking.

Reproduce

1. Make a docker package with the folder structure .docker/config.json
2. Put your config in the file
3. Launch Docker Desktop

Expected behavior

Docker desktop should launch.

docker version

Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:           27.4.1
 API version:       1.47
 Go version:        go1.22.10
 Git commit:        b9d17ea
 Built:             Tue Dec 17 15:47:13 2024
 OS/Arch:           linux/amd64
 Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.35.1 (173168)
 Engine:
  Version:          27.3.1
  API version:      1.47 (minimum version 1.24)
  Go version:       go1.22.7
  Git commit:       41ca978
  Built:            Fri Sep 20 11:41:11 2024
  OS/Arch:          linux/amd64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          1.7.21
  GitCommit:        472731909fa34bd7bc9c087e4c27943f9835f111
 runc:
  Version:          1.1.13
  GitCommit:        v1.1.13-0-g58aa920
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

docker info

Note: the name of the current user is replaced by <user>

Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:    27.4.1
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.17.1-desktop.1
    Path:     /usr/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.29.7-desktop.1
    Path:     /usr/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.37
    Path:     /usr/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Alpha) (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.0.15
    Path:     /usr/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-desktop
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.2
    Path:     /usr/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-dev
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.27
    Path:     /usr/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  feedback: Provide feedback, right in your terminal! (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.5
    Path:     /usr/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-feedback
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.3.0
    Path:     /usr/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-init
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     /usr/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.14.0
    Path:     /usr/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
 Containers: 1
  Running: 0
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 1
 Images: 2
 Server Version: 27.3.1
 Storage Driver: overlayfs
  driver-type: io.containerd.snapshotter.v1
 Logging Driver: json-file
 Cgroup Driver: cgroupfs
 Cgroup Version: 2
 Plugins:
  Volume: local
  Network: bridge host ipvlan macvlan null overlay
  Log: awslogs fluentd gcplogs gelf journald json-file local splunk syslog
 Swarm: inactive
 Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 runc
 Default Runtime: runc
 Init Binary: docker-init
 containerd version: 472731909fa34bd7bc9c087e4c27943f9835f111
 runc version: v1.1.13-0-g58aa920
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  seccomp
   Profile: unconfined
  cgroupns
 Kernel Version: 6.10.11-linuxkit
 Operating System: Docker Desktop
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: x86_64
 CPUs: 16
 Total Memory: 7.417GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: bda25d8a-4fa7-4560-86a8-5c330738391d
 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=unix:///home/<user>/.docker/desktop/docker-cli.sock
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false

WARNING: daemon is not using the default seccomp profile

Diagnostics ID

DA3D13AB-F83A-417A-8270-3D1692CF355E/20250103123851

Additional Info

Launching Docker gives this error:

changing CLI context: enabling docker context desktop-linux: rename /home//.docker/config.json105045726 ../dotfiles/docker/.docker/config.json: no such file or directory