dial unix /var/run/docker.sock: permission denied

[cdekok]

I installed docker.io on ubuntu 14.04 only i always get this message:

dial unix /var/run/docker.sock: permission denied

I read this was an old problem, i see it does belong to the group docker, and I have tried adding myself to the docker group to but i still get this message, does anybody know how to solve it?

The version that comes with ubuntu is: Docker version 0.9.1, build 3600720

[lkoenigsberger]

I`ve the same problem. Thought first it is a config error or an error because of running the VM in Microsoft Azure ;-) But I'm not alone!!
What are we missing??

[tianon]

Did you log out and back in after adding yourself to the docker group?

[lkoenigsberger]

Sorry yes that was the problem!! After rebooting the server it worked!! Thanks

[tianon]

@mech7 was that the issue for you as well?

[cdekok]

Yes seems to be working now thanks :)

[tuminoid]

This issue still persists on Trusty and Docker 0.9.1, build 3600720.
I have rebooted. Running kernel 3.14.2-lowlatency from Ubuntu mainline PPA.

$ groups
tumi adm cdrom sudo dip plugdev lpadmin sambashare docker

$ docker -d
[/var/lib/docker|a0e25760] +job serveapi(unix:///var/run/docker.sock)
[/var/lib/docker|a0e25760] +job initserver()
[/var/lib/docker|a0e25760.initserver()] Creating server
2014/05/15 08:10:33 Listening for HTTP on unix (/var/run/docker.sock)
listen unix /var/run/docker.sock: bind: permission denied
[/var/lib/docker|a0e25760] -job serveapi(unix:///var/run/docker.sock) = ERR (1)
2014/05/15 08:10:33 listen unix /var/run/docker.sock: bind: permission denied

$ sudo start docker.io
docker.io start/running, process 16801

$ dmesg | tail -n5
[ 1212.552302] init: docker.io main process ended, respawning
[ 1212.583319] init: docker.io main process (17116) terminated with status 1
[ 1212.583329] init: docker.io main process ended, respawning
[ 1212.616100] init: docker.io main process (17151) terminated with status 1
[ 1212.616111] init: docker.io respawning too fast, stopped

$ sudo docker -d
[/var/lib/docker|e0b714e0] +job serveapi(unix:///var/run/docker.sock)
[/var/lib/docker|e0b714e0] +job initserver()
[/var/lib/docker|e0b714e0.initserver()] Creating server
2014/05/15 08:11:00 Listening for HTTP on unix (/var/run/docker.sock)
listen unix /var/run/docker.sock: bind: permission denied
[/var/lib/docker|e0b714e0] -job serveapi(unix:///var/run/docker.sock) = ERR (1)
2014/05/15 08:11:00 listen unix /var/run/docker.sock: bind: permission denied

[rvalyi]

Hello,

I'm running into that "permission denied" issue with Docker version 1.1.1, build bd609d2
But my use case is Docker inside LXC: my Host is an Ubuntu Trusty, then I have a Vagrant LXC (Raring or Trusty) where I try to run Dokku and Docker.
I tried re-login, and could ensure root was in the docker group. So proposed solutions didn't make the cut for me.

But then I tried the same Vagrant configuration with Raring and the standard virtualbox provider instead of LXC, then Docker just worked...

If you want to try to reproduce, I just do Vagrant up with this Vagrant file:
https://github.com/fgrehm/chef-dokku/tree/test_kitchen_migration
(yes this test_kitchen_migration branch)
This works (eventually adding default['docker']['image_cmd_timeout'] = 3000 in attributes/default.rb in case of timeout)

If instead I modify the Vagrantfile to use config.vm.box = 'fgrehm/raring64-lxc instead of just raring64
and if I start with vagrant up --provider=lxc, then I run into the "permission denied issue" when the Dokku recipe tries to launch Docker (or if I SSH in the box and try manually).

Does this helps? cc @mitchellh @fgrehm

[jessfraz]

What init system are you using?

[enricostano]

I'm getting the same too on a vagrant VM (ubuntu 14), I have to use sudo docker info to avoid the error...

[cdekok]

The issue comes back with me too :(
Docker version 1.3.0, build c78088f

[mattupstate]

@mech7 same here

[cyroxx]

@mech7 @mattupstate
On Ubuntu 14.04, I am also using the Docker version 1.3.0, build c78088f.

Adding myself to the docker group by sudo usermod -a -G docker <username> and rebooting (logout/login might have worked as well) did the job for me. I do not see the permission denied anymore when I issue docker commands.

[javiervivanco]

@cyroxx Thank you. It works!

[ssebastianj]

Adding myself to the docker group by sudo usermod -a -G docker <username> and rebooting (logout/login might have worked as well) did the job for me. I do not see the permission denied anymore when I issue docker commands.

Thanks!! It worked for me on Ubuntu 14.10 and Docker version 1.2.0, build fa7b24f

[rvanrijn]

@cyroxx Thank you. It works! I wasted a couple of hours...now I am happy :)

[jbruni]

I also had to add my user to "docker" group, by sudo usermod -a -G docker <username>... Is this documented?

[jessfraz]

yes multiple places, but here is one example
http://docs.docker.com/installation/ubuntulinux/#giving-non-root-access

On Sat, Jan 31, 2015 at 1:02 AM, J Bruni notifications@github.com wrote:

I also had to add my user to "docker" group, by sudo usermod -a -G docker
... Is this documented?

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#5314 (comment).

[sjayendran]

thank you @cyroxx! that worked!

[907th]

The @cyroxx 's solution works! It is explained in "Giving non-root access" section of official Docker docs.

[meawoppl]

The instructions here need a bump too:
https://docs.docker.com/installation/ubuntulinux/

It suggests the user change at the end of install, but following the install directions directly on 14.04 will eventually lead you to this issue post!

[psachin]

@tianon Logout->Login sometimes is not appropriate, as we have process running. Any idea if this related to docker ? If yes, then it should be marked as bug.

[Mik1337]

Had the same problem, tried logging out and logging back in and that did not fix it, but when I rebooted my machine I did not get any errors running docker commands with my non-root use.

tl;dr: if logging out and logging back does not work, try rebooting

[saadaouad]

Thanks @cyroxx +1

[martiuh]

I added myself to the docker group, then I did log out and did log in, after that I checked if I was in the docker group

$ groups
adm cdrom sudo dip plugdev lpadmin sambashare docker
#I was in the group

But couldn't run docker run hello-world

I checked if the docker service was running

$ sudo service docker status
#Everything was fine, docker was active

What I did next was to restart the docker service with:
$ sudo service docker restart
after the restart I was able to do $ docker run without sudo, hope this helps someone 😃

[tahir-gvs]

A side note: If you are trying to connect to socket from within a container, make sure you have the group docker defined within the container too.

$ docker exec -it yourcontainer bash
$ whoami
$ groups

If you see that docker group is not there in your container, edit /etc/group file to make an entry something like (see group file syntax)

docker:x:999:jenkins

Replace jenkins with container User. A container restart may be required after editing /etc/group file.

[2pay]

You can fix this error by add you to docker group:

$ sudo usermod -aG docker $(whoami)
$ sudo usermod -aG docker your_username

when logout and login back

[armaandhir]

I have ubuntu as a vm. Did everything as mentioned above and even see docker in groups but still get this error.

[chinglinwen]

After adding user to the docker group, I find out that newgrp docker may work without logout and login. ( try id command to see the difference, the docker group will show up now. )

[bakmei]

You don't need to reboot. The reboot was to trigger the restart of the "docker.service". Therefore, you just need "sudo systemctl restart docker.service" I have test this on CentOS7 and it works. You still need to include the user in the group as mentioned above.

[delta-one-one]

FYI, the one thing I missed was that the docker group MUST be locally defined on the server in /etc/group - I am using OpenLDAP, and although everything looked fine, I still had the permission denied error until I did this.

[thaJeztah]

@delta-one-one looks like that may be addressed by #38126 (once reviewed, tested, and merged)

[synergiator]

how to debug if after joining the group the persmission is still not present?

Got permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket at unix:///var/run/docker.sock: Get http://%2Fvar%2Frun%2Fdocker.sock/v1.39/containers/json: dial unix /var/run/docker.sock: connect: permission denied

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, docker 18.09.0, build 4d60db4 (running on a real hardware; sudo mode works fine)

[cochiseruhulessin]

Same issue as @1605200517, same OS/docker version and on GCE instance. In my case, it seems to happen randomly.

[sam-cyglass]

@martiuh s solution was the thing I was missing.

$ sudo service docker restart

I didn't find it in the docs (not so deeper search though), shouldn't it be included there?

[aliceinwire]

@sam-cyglass I think yes it should.
Restarting docker did the trick

[ppazos]

I followed the post-installation instructions and worked for me:

https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/linux-postinstall/

IMPORTANT: after making changes, reboot.