100 Common Docker Errors & Solutions

Docker is an essential tool in modern DevOps practices, enabling developers to containerize applications and manage them efficiently. However, as with any powerful tool, users often encounter errors that can disrupt workflows and create frustration. Wh…


This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by H A R S H H A A

Docker is an essential tool in modern DevOps practices, enabling developers to containerize applications and manage them efficiently. However, as with any powerful tool, users often encounter errors that can disrupt workflows and create frustration. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced professional, troubleshooting Docker issues can be a time-consuming task.

In this article, we have compiled a list of 100 common Docker errors and their solutions. From authentication issues to networking errors, we cover a wide range of problems you may encounter while working with Docker, Docker Compose, and containerized environments.

Each error is clearly explained, followed by actionable solutions to help you quickly resolve the issue and get back to your development tasks. Whether you’re facing a docker push failure, runtime errors, or issues with networking, this guide is designed to save you time and provide practical solutions for Docker troubleshooting.

Let's dive into the most common Docker errors and how to solve them.

1. Error: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon

Solution:

  • Ensure the Docker daemon is running using: 
  sudo systemctl start docker

or use docker-machine start (for Docker Machine users).

2. Error: Permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket

Solution:

  • Add your user to the Docker group: 
  sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
  • Log out and log back in for changes to take effect.

3. Error: Container is unhealthy

Solution:

  • Check the health check command in your Dockerfile.
  • Review container logs to identify the issue.

4. Error: Docker: Error response from daemon: conflict

Solution:

  • Remove the existing container using: 
  docker rm <container_id>
  • Then, try running the container again.

5. Error: No space left on device

Solution:

  • Clean up unused images, containers, and volumes: 
  docker system prune

6. Error: Network timed out while trying to connect to Docker Hub

Solution:

  • Check your internet connection and proxy settings.
  • Retry the operation after resolving network issues.

7. Error: Cannot locate package in Dockerfile

Solution:

  • Update package lists before installing software: 
  RUN apt-get update

8. Error: EACCES: permission denied

Solution:

  • Ensure necessary permissions for the volume mount.
  • Use sudo if required.

9. Error: No such file or directory

Solution:

  • Verify the file path and ensure it exists in the Docker build context.

10. Error: Address already in use

Solution:

  • Ensure the port is not in use by another application.
  • Stop the conflicting service or use a different port.

11. Error: exec format error

Solution:

  • Ensure you're using the correct architecture for your Docker image.

12. Error: Mounts denied: Permission denied

Solution:

  • Update Docker to the latest version.
  • Ensure correct sharing of directories in Docker Desktop settings.

13. Error: OCI runtime create failed

Solution:

  • Check for syntax errors in your Dockerfile.
  • Ensure all dependencies are installed.

14. Error: Failed to create containerd task

Solution:

  • Restart the Docker daemon: 
  sudo systemctl restart docker

15. Error: Cannot start service: Ports are not available

Solution:

  • Ensure the specified port is available and not used by other services.

16. Error: Error pulling image

Solution:

  • Verify the image name and ensure you have access to it.
  • Retry the docker pull command.

17. Error: Cannot kill container

Solution:

  • Use docker rm -f <container_id> to force remove the container.

18. Error: Docker build fails with COPY failed: no such file or directory

Solution:

  • Ensure the specified files and paths in the Dockerfile exist in the build context.

19. Error: No build stage in current context

Solution:

  • Use a multi-stage build if necessary or verify the Dockerfile syntax.

20. Error: Error processing tar file

Solution:

  • Verify the integrity of the tar file and ensure it is not corrupted.

21. Error: Cannot allocate memory

Solution:

  • Ensure enough memory is available on the host machine.

22. Error: Invalid volume specification

Solution:

  • Verify the volume path format and ensure it exists on the host.

23. Error: Docker container exits immediately

Solution:

  • Ensure the container has a long-running process.
  • Use tail -f /dev/null as a workaround for testing.

24. Error: Cannot delete stopped container

Solution:

  • Remove the container using: 
  docker rm <container_id>

25. Error: Docker-compose: ERROR: Service ‘web’ failed to build

Solution:

  • Review the Dockerfile for issues and check the build logs.

26. Error: Docker image import fails

Solution:

  • Ensure the image file is valid and not corrupted.
  • Use docker load for importing the image.

27. Error: Docker container cannot connect to the internet

Solution:

  • Ensure the container's network settings are correct.
  • Check firewall and proxy configurations.

28. Error: File not found in Docker container

Solution:

  • Ensure the file exists in the container or use docker exec to check the container’s filesystem.

29. Error: Docker push fails

Solution:

  • Ensure you are logged into the Docker registry using: 
  docker login

30. Error: Cannot bind to IP address

Solution:

  • Ensure the IP address is available and not in use by other services.

31. Error: Container failed to start

Solution:

  • Check container logs using: 
  docker logs <container_id>

32. Error: Error initializing graphdriver

Solution:

  • Ensure the Docker storage driver is properly configured.
  • Try restarting Docker.

33. Error: Docker-compose: ERROR: Version in “./docker-compose.yml” is unsupported

Solution:

  • Update the version field in docker-compose.yml to a supported version.

34. Error: Failed to mount local volume

Solution:

  • Verify the volume path on the host machine and ensure it has the correct permissions.

35. Error: The image 'xyz' could not be found

Solution:

  • Verify the image name and check Docker Hub or private registry for availability.

36. Error: Docker container fails to connect to database

Solution:

  • Verify the network configuration between containers.
  • Ensure the database container is running and accessible.

37. Error: Container won’t stop

Solution:

  • Use docker kill <container_id> to force stop the container.

38. Error: Cannot allocate CPU resources

Solution:

  • Ensure the host has enough available CPU resources.
  • Adjust CPU limits in Docker run options if necessary.

39. Error: Unauthorized: authentication required

Solution:

  • Log in to Docker Hub or your private registry using: 
  docker login

40. Error: Error processing request: no such file

Solution:

  • Verify the file path and ensure it exists in the build context or container.

41. Error: Cannot bind to port

Solution:

  • Ensure the port is available and not used by another application.

42. Error: Docker network not found

Solution:

  • Create the required network using: 
  docker network create <network_name>

43. Error: Image not found locally

Solution:

  • Pull the image from Docker Hub or another registry using: 
  docker pull <image_name>

44. Error: Image ID conflict

Solution:

  • Remove or rename conflicting images using: 
  docker rmi <image_id>

45. Error: Failed to build image

Solution:

  • Review the Dockerfile for syntax errors and review build logs for more details.

46. Error: Docker container DNS resolution fails

Solution:

  • Ensure the container is connected to the correct network.
  • Update the DNS server settings in Docker daemon or container config.

47. Error: Unable to connect to container console

Solution:

  • Use docker exec -it <container_id> /bin/bash to open a shell in the running container.

48. Error: Docker-compose: Build failed

Solution:

  • Check the Dockerfile for syntax errors.
  • Review build logs for more details.

49. Error: Docker image push failed

Solution:

  • Ensure you are logged into the correct registry using: 
  docker login

50. Error: Invalid Dockerfile syntax

Solution:

  • Review the Dockerfile syntax and ensure all commands are valid.

51. Error: Docker push fails with "no basic auth credentials"

Solution:

  • Log in to Docker Hub before pushing the image using docker login.

52. Error: Cannot connect to Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock

Solution:

  • Ensure the Docker daemon is running and check the permissions on the Docker socket.

53. Error: Container has runAsNonRoot and image has non-numeric user (username)

Solution:

  • Ensure the Dockerfile specifies a numeric user ID.

54. Error: Conflict: unable to delete (must be forced)

Solution:

  • Use the following command to forcefully remove the image: 
  docker image rm -f <image_id>

55. Error: Connection reset by peer

Solution:

  • Check network connectivity and retry the operation.

56. Error: Error saving credentials

Solution:

  • Ensure the Docker credential store is configured correctly.

57. Error: Missing required flag 'service' when using '-t' with docker-compose up

Solution:

  • Ensure the service name is specified correctly in the docker-compose command.

58. Error: Cannot unpause container

Solution:

  • Ensure the container is in a paused state and try unpausing it again using: 
  docker unpause <container_id>

59. Error: Error executing in Docker container: 137

Solution:

  • Increase the container's memory limit and ensure it has enough resources.

60. Error: Mount path must be absolute

Solution:

  • Ensure the mount path is an absolute path in your Docker Compose file.

61. Error: Docker login fails with "error storing credentials"

Solution:

  • Check the Docker credential helper configuration and ensure it is working correctly.

62. Error: Cannot remove image: conflict

Solution:

  • Ensure no containers are using the image, then remove it using: 
  docker rmi <image_id>

63. Error: No such container: <container_id>

Solution:

  • Verify the container ID and ensure it exists.

64. Error: Couldn't find .env file

Solution:

  • Ensure the .env file exists in the specified path and is correctly formatted.

65. Error: Could not read CA certificate

Solution:

  • Verify the CA certificate path and ensure the file exists.

66. Error: Invalid reference format

Solution:

  • Ensure the image name and tag are correctly formatted.

67. Error: Cannot stop container: container not found

Solution:

  • Verify the container ID and ensure it is running.

68. Error: Cannot start service: Mounts denied

Solution:

  • Ensure the volume mounts are correctly configured and have the necessary permissions.

69. Error: Network not found

Solution:

  • Create the network using: 
  docker network create <network_name>

70. Error: Docker pull fails with "toomanyrequests"

Solution:

  • Wait a few moments and retry the operation. Consider using a rate limit-free account.

71. Error: Error response from daemon: Unknown runtime specified

Solution:

  • Ensure the specified runtime is installed and configured correctly.

72. Error: Docker-compose up fails with "Cannot start service: Mounts denied"

Solution:

  • Verify the volume mount paths and permissions in the Docker Compose file.

73. Error: Error creating overlay network

Solution:

  • Restart the Docker daemon and try creating the network again.

74. Error: Cannot start container: invalid argument

Solution:

  • Check the container start command for errors and ensure all necessary arguments are provided.

75. Error: Dockerfile build fails with "no build stage in current context"

Solution:

  • Verify the Dockerfile syntax and ensure a valid build stage is specified.

76. Error: Docker push fails with "denied: requested access to the resource is denied"

Solution:

  • Ensure you have the necessary permissions to push the image and that you are logged in.

77. Error: Cannot kill container: unknown error after kill

Solution:

  • Use: 
  docker rm -f <container_id>

to forcefully remove the container.

78. Error: Failed to create endpoint on network

Solution:

  • Restart the Docker daemon and check the network settings.

79. Error: Docker-compose up fails with "ERROR: Pool overlaps with another on this address space"

Solution:

  • Use a different subnet for the Docker network to avoid overlapping.

80. Error: Docker build fails with "invalid reference format"

Solution:

  • Ensure the image name and tag are correctly formatted in the Dockerfile.

81. Error: Docker login fails with "unauthorized: authentication required"

Solution:

  • Verify your Docker Hub credentials and ensure you are using the correct username and password.

82. Error: Docker-compose up fails with "Error processing tar file (exit status 1)"

Solution:

  • Verify the integrity of the tar file and ensure it is not corrupted.

83. Error: Cannot remove volume: volume is in use

Solution:

  • Ensure no containers are using the volume, then remove it using: 
  docker volume rm <volume_name>

84. Error: Docker push fails with "no basic auth credentials"

Solution:

  • Log in to Docker Hub using docker login before pushing the image.

85. Error: Docker run fails with "OCI runtime create failed"

Solution:

  • Check the container start command for errors and ensure all necessary arguments are provided.

86. Error: Docker build fails with "Error response from daemon: invalid mount config"

Solution:

  • Verify the mount configuration in your Dockerfile and ensure it is correctly formatted.

87. Error: Docker-compose up fails with "ERROR: for db Cannot start service db"

Solution:

  • Check the logs for the specific service to diagnose the issue.

88. Error: Docker network connect: network not found

Solution:

  • Verify the network name and ensure it exists.

89. Error: Docker run fails with "invalid container name"

Solution:

  • Ensure the container name is correctly formatted and does not contain invalid characters.

90. Error: Docker build fails with "COPY failed: no source files were specified"

Solution:

  • Verify the file paths in the Dockerfile and ensure the source files exist.

91. Error: Docker-compose up fails with "ERROR: for app Cannot start service app"

Solution:

  • Check the logs for the specific service to diagnose the issue.

92. Error: Docker pull fails with "unauthorized: incorrect username or password"

Solution:

  • Verify your Docker Hub credentials and try logging in again.

93. Error: Docker run fails with "Error response from daemon: OCI runtime create failed"

Solution:

  • Check the container start command for errors and ensure all necessary arguments are provided.

94. Error: Docker build fails with "Step xx/yy: COPY failed: stat"

Solution:

  • Verify the file paths in the Dockerfile and ensure the source files exist.

95. Error: Docker-compose up fails with "Error response from daemon: conflict"

Solution:

  • Remove the existing container using: 
  docker rm <container_id>

and try again.

96. Error: Docker push fails with "denied: requested access to the resource is denied"

Solution:

  • Ensure you have the necessary permissions to push the image and that you are logged in.

97. Error: Docker build fails with "no build stage in current context"

Solution:

  • Verify the Dockerfile syntax and ensure a valid build stage is specified.

98. Error: Docker-compose up fails with "network not found"

Solution:

  • Create the network using: 
  docker network create <network_name>

and try again.

99. Error: Docker run fails with "Error response from daemon: invalid reference format"

Solution:

  • Ensure the image name and tag are correctly formatted.

100. Error: Docker login fails with "error storing credentials"

Solution:

  • Check the Docker credential helper configuration and ensure it is working correctly.

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This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by H A R S H H A A


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