com.docker.backend cannot start (Fatal Error: com.docker.backend cannot start Exit code 2)

[rfay]

Description

Fatal Error: com.docker.backend cannot start
Exit code 2

Reproduce

This happens regularly on DDEV's automated testing on macOS. This one is on amd64.

Expected behavior

It shouldn't crash.

docker version

Client:
 Cloud integration: v1.0.33
 Version:           24.0.2
 API version:       1.43
 Go version:        go1.20.4
 Git commit:        cb74dfc
 Built:             Thu May 25 21:51:16 2023
 OS/Arch:           darwin/amd64
 Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.20.1 (110738)
 Engine:
  Version:          24.0.2
  API version:      1.43 (minimum version 1.12)
  Go version:       go1.20.4
  Git commit:       659604f
  Built:            Thu May 25 21:52:17 2023
  OS/Arch:          linux/amd64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          1.6.21
  GitCommit:        3dce8eb055cbb6872793272b4f20ed16117344f8
 runc:
  Version:          1.1.7
  GitCommit:        v1.1.7-0-g860f061
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

docker info

Client:
 Version:    24.0.2
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.10.5
    Path:     /Users/testbot/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.18.1
    Path:     /Users/testbot/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.0
    Path:     /Users/testbot/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-dev
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.19
    Path:     /Users/testbot/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.0-beta.4
    Path:     /Users/testbot/.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:     /Users/testbot/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scan: Docker Scan (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.26.0
    Path:     /Users/testbot/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scan
  scout: Command line tool for Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.12.0
    Path:     /Users/testbot/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
 Containers: 4
  Running: 1
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 3
 Images: 77
 Server Version: 24.0.2
 Storage Driver: overlay2
  Backing Filesystem: extfs
  Supports d_type: true
  Using metacopy: false
  Native Overlay Diff: true
  userxattr: false
 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 logentries splunk syslog
 Swarm: inactive
 Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 runc
 Default Runtime: runc
 Init Binary: docker-init
 containerd version: 3dce8eb055cbb6872793272b4f20ed16117344f8
 runc version: v1.1.7-0-g860f061
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  seccomp
   Profile: builtin
  cgroupns
 Kernel Version: 5.15.49-linuxkit-pr
 Operating System: Docker Desktop
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: x86_64
 CPUs: 2
 Total Memory: 3.842GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: 52d5f728-0544-4069-bbea-223fce726d1b
 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
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false

Diagnostics ID

CE46F4CE-5EA3-46A1-BB0A-7FF47A7B2E10/20230626130815

Additional Info

Rebooting the machine fixes it. Trying to restart Docker Desktop usually doesn't.

[rfay]

Just happened, exactly the same, on arm64. Let me know if I can provide any additional information. I can also give you access to a failed system.

[lorenrh]

Hi! We have released Docker desktop 4.21.1, containing a fix for this issue, please see https://docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes/

[halo]

After upgrading from 4.20.1 to 4.21.1 I'm not seeing that particular error dialog any more, but Docker still crashes in the same manner, just as often.

I'm pretty sure it only happens when I'm offline. For what it's worth, I installed Docker using an admin user and then switched over to a non-admin user, using Docker there. But as far as I can tell, I did not have any problems with using Docker, up to recently when I used if offline. I'm also on macOS amd64.

This is the console log when it crashed (notice how Bugsnag can't deliver the error because I'm offline). I don't think any other crash report is generated.

Also, docker-compose up with a postgres image quits like this:

postgres-1  | 2023-07-15 07:11:01.282 UTC [1] LOG:  database system is ready to accept connections
unexpected EOF

But I guess that's normal behavior when the docker backend dies.

Docker Version

Client:
Cloud integration: v1.0.35

Version: 24.0.2

API version: 1.43

Go version: go1.20.4

Git commit: cb74dfc

Built: Thu May 25 21:51:16 2023

OS/Arch: darwin/arm64

Context: desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.21.1 (114176)
Engine:
Version: 24.0.2
API version: 1.43 (minimum version 1.12)
Go version: go1.20.4
Git commit: 659604f
Built: Thu May 25 21:50:59 2023
OS/Arch: linux/arm64
Experimental: false
containerd:
Version: 1.6.21
GitCommit: 3dce8eb055cbb6872793272b4f20ed16117344f8
runc:
Version: 1.1.7
GitCommit: v1.1.7-0-g860f061
docker-init:
Version: 0.19.0
GitCommit: de40ad0

Docker Info

Client:
Version: 24.0.2

Context: desktop-linux

Debug Mode: false

Plugins:

buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)

Version: v0.11.0

Path: /Users/me/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx

compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)

Version: v2.19.1

Path: /Users/me/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose

dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)

Version: v0.1.0

Path: /Users/me/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-dev

extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)

Version: v0.2.20

Path: /Users/me/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension

init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)

Version: v0.1.0-beta.6

Path: /Users/me/.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: /Users/me/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom

scan: Docker Scan (Docker Inc.)

Version: v0.26.0

Path: /Users/me/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scan

scout: Command line tool for Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)

Version: 0.16.1

Path: /Users/me/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
Containers: 4
Running: 2
Paused: 0
Stopped: 2
Images: 3
Server Version: 24.0.2
Storage Driver: overlay2
Backing Filesystem: extfs
Supports d_type: true
Using metacopy: false
Native Overlay Diff: true
userxattr: false
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 logentries splunk syslog
Swarm: inactive
Runtimes: runc io.containerd.runc.v2
Default Runtime: runc
Init Binary: docker-init
containerd version: 3dce8eb055cbb6872793272b4f20ed16117344f8
runc version: v1.1.7-0-g860f061
init version: de40ad0
Security Options:
seccomp
Profile: builtin
cgroupns
Kernel Version: 5.15.49-linuxkit-pr
Operating System: Docker Desktop
OSType: linux
Architecture: aarch64
CPUs: 4
Total Memory: 7.668GiB
Name: docker-desktop
ID: b10da9be-3d5d-4f44-8e91-810d6a1981b2
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
Experimental: false
Insecure Registries:
hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
127.0.0.0/8
Live Restore Enabled: false

Diagnose Check (when online)

[2023-07-11T11:15:23.901573000Z][com.docker.diagnose.paths][I] set path configuration to OnHost
Starting diagnostics

[PASS] DD0027: is there available disk space on the host?
[PASS] DD0028: is there available VM disk space?
[PASS] DD0018: does the host support virtualization?
[PASS] DD0001: is the application running?
[PASS] DD0017: can a VM be started?
[PASS] DD0016: is the LinuxKit VM running?
[PASS] DD0011: are the LinuxKit services running?
[PASS] DD0004: is the Docker engine running?
[PASS] DD0015: are the binary symlinks installed?
[PASS] DD0031: does the Docker API work?
[PASS] DD0013: is the $PATH ok?
[PASS] DD0003: is the Docker CLI working?
[PASS] DD0038: is the connection to Docker working?
[PASS] DD0014: are the backend processes running?
[PASS] DD0007: is the backend responding?
[PASS] DD0008: is the native API responding?
[SKIP] DD0009: is the vpnkit API responding?
[PASS] DD0010: is the Docker API proxy responding?
[SKIP] DD0030: is the image access management authorized?
[PASS] DD0033: does the host have Internet access?
[PASS] DD0018: does the host support virtualization?
[PASS] DD0001: is the application running?
[PASS] DD0017: can a VM be started?
[PASS] DD0016: is the LinuxKit VM running?
[PASS] DD0011: are the LinuxKit services running?
[PASS] DD0004: is the Docker engine running?
[PASS] DD0015: are the binary symlinks installed?
[PASS] DD0031: does the Docker API work?
[PASS] DD0032: do Docker networks overlap with host IPs?
No fatal errors detected.