docker
Docker Desktop not starting on run.
Description
When I open Docker from "/Users/Dusten/Applications/Docker.app", it technically opens, but the daemon, GUI, and everything else related to it does not. Also, the CLI does not work at all either, the most it can do is show the --help output.
The only two processes from it in Activity Monitor are "Docker" and "com.docker.backend", both of which only use around 25 to 30 MB of RAM.
Reinstalling does not work, as i've tried it several times with both brew and the Docker website .dmg file.
Reproduce
- Download Docker Desktop from either the website or brew.
- Run it from a user/non super-user account. (Or not, I simply don't have access to super-user accounts.)
- Docker Desktop does not run, with only 2 references to it in Activity Monitor
Expected behavior
Docker Desktop should open, along with the daemon.
docker version
Client: Docker Engine - Community
Version: 27.5.1
API version: 1.47
Go version: go1.23.5
Git commit: 9f9e405801
Built: Tue Jan 21 23:46:20 2025
OS/Arch: darwin/arm64
Context: default
Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?
docker info
Client: Docker Engine - Community
Version: 27.5.1
Context: default
Debug Mode: false
Plugins:
compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
Version: 2.33.1
Path: /opt/homebrew/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
WARNING: Plugin "/Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx" is not valid: failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx: no such file or directory
WARNING: Plugin "/Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug" is not valid: failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug: no such file or directory
WARNING: Plugin "/Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-dev" is not valid: failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-dev: no such file or directory
WARNING: Plugin "/Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension" is not valid: failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension: no such file or directory
WARNING: Plugin "/Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-feedback" is not valid: failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-feedback: no such file or directory
WARNING: Plugin "/Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init" is not valid: failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init: no such file or directory
WARNING: Plugin "/Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom" is not valid: failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom: no such file or directory
WARNING: Plugin "/Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout" is not valid: failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /Users/******/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout: no such file or directory
Server:
ERROR: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?
errors pretty printing info
Diagnostics ID
0F90D10C-4910-4895-8660-89D2E06D3226/20250223221935
Additional Info
Version: MacOS Sequoia 15.3.1 Account: Base User (Non-Superuser) Running From: /Users/Dusten/Applications/Docker.app
I don't know if ware having the same issue : here is what i gave :
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/783ea3ab-82da-47fb-8f29-143a4f3037d3
Since yesterday's update, No way to launch Docker Desktop... I have this error message:
_An unexpected error occurred Docker Desktop encountered an unexpected error and needs to close.
Search our troubleshooting documentation to find a solution or workaround. Alternatively, you can gather a diagnostics report and submit a support request or GitHub issue.
writing locks to locked-directories: unlocking leaked directory locks: permission denied permission denied_
Diag ID: F992C5EB-4497-44E0-A522-FA828788E691/20250224180633
FOR INFO No way to recover the containers! The update erased everything! Time machine crashes and does not go back further than today 6:30 PM (fr) I am disgusted, I was developing a Prestashop, 2 days lost... Really, I do not understand what happened, it is the first time. I'M GETTING RID OF DOCKER FOR GOOD! THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE THAT A SOFTWARE HAS CAUSED ME THIS MUCH SHIT! I am going to develop again on a good old DEBIAN VM. The day I meet a Docker c..., he will have a bad time!
I had the issue of Docker Desktop not starting after installing on a new Mac Mini under OSX 15.3.1. I found 2 Docker processes in Activity Monitor, but nothing on the desktop or the status bar. I killed them and and reinstalled, but got the same result. I then downloaded and installed the Docker Desktop App for X86. When I tried to run it, it forced the installation of Rosetta and then failed. But when I reinstalled the correct desktop app, it ran fine. I suspect that some parts of the Docker desktop and background daemons may use some pieces of code that need Rosetta, but not in a way that is detected by Sequoia to prompt installing it, thus cause it to fail.
I don't know if ware having the same issue : here is what i gave :
Screen.Recording.2025-02-24.at.17.41.56.mov
Strange, but for me Docker doesn't open at all. You should definitely make a new issue for this though.
Since yesterday's update, No way to launch Docker Desktop... I have this error message:
_An unexpected error occurred Docker Desktop encountered an unexpected error and needs to close.
Search our troubleshooting documentation to find a solution or workaround. Alternatively, you can gather a diagnostics report and submit a support request or GitHub issue.
writing locks to locked-directories: unlocking leaked directory locks: permission denied permission denied_
Diag ID: F992C5EB-4497-44E0-A522-FA828788E691/20250224180633
FOR INFO No way to recover the containers! The update erased everything! Time machine crashes and does not go back further than today 6:30 PM (fr) I am disgusted, I was developing a Prestashop, 2 days lost... Really, I do not understand what happened, it is the first time. I'M GETTING RID OF DOCKER FOR GOOD! THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE THAT A SOFTWARE HAS CAUSED ME THIS MUCH SHIT! I am going to develop again on a good old DEBIAN VM. The day I meet a Docker c..., he will have a bad time!
@cotiga @gitultra75848 I encountered a similar problem with you. Yesterday, I wasted a lot of time and couldn't handle it properly. I have just solved this problem, you can also take a look at this post, maybe it can also fix the problem you encountered : https://github.com/docker/for-mac/issues/7531#issuecomment-2580595610
I was facing similar issues, initially the issue was that I kept getting this message which says Docker is damaged and move it to the bin. I moved it to bin as the error keeps popping up until you move the same to bin
Later I tried to remove the files related to docker in Library.
- sudo rm -f ~/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.docker.socket
- sudo rm -f ~/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.docker.vmnetd
I restarted my mac and tried to install, this time I don't get the error, but Docker Desktop Never starts I killed the process explicitly and removed further files related to docker
- sudo rm -f ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.socket.plist
- sudo rm -f ~/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.vmnetd.plist
I saw few more files in ~/Library/Containers which I am unable to remove from terminal. Got this error "operation not permitted". However I was able to remove them from finder with admin permissions.
Now tried to install the docker, faced same issues, removed the Docker app once again and tried to install using brew. Faced few conflicting files in /usr/local removed them as well.
- sudo rm -r /usr/local/bin/docker*
- sudo rm -r /usr/local/bin/hub-tool
- sudo rm /usr/local/bin/kubectl.docker
Still the Docker app never started. I uninstalled using brew. This time downloaded previous version of docker.dmg i.e 4.34.0. I installed and this time Ta da it started working. Not really sure what I did right.
Hi I had the same problem. In my case I could fix it by running this command (re-launching the deamon): sudo launchctl load -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.vmnetd.plist
Hi I had the same problem. In my case I could fix it by running this command (re-launching the deamon):
sudo launchctl load -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.vmnetd.plist
will try this if I face this problem again. Thank you.
Same issue here. Tried all above fix without any luck. When run sudo launchctl load -w /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.vmnetd.plist I got this error
Load failed: 5: Input/output error Try running launchctl bootstrap as root for richer errors.
