Using host's docker cli from container

[TheOnlyWei]

Description

I have been searching for several hours and ran through many -v commands on how to mount or bind the host's docker command inside a container so that the container can have access to the docker command.

I have checked this closed issue, but the solution commented on Oct 2, 2019, doesn't work for me:
#4642

Searching online, you will find various answers like:

Just run -v //var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock

Sources:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/36765138/bind-to-docker-socket-on-windows
https://jpetazzo.github.io/2015/09/03/do-not-use-docker-in-docker-for-ci/

But none of this works for my ubuntu container. I have Docker Desktop version 4.30.0 on Windows 11 with WSL 2, and I have tried ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 container images. Would be helpful if there was actually official documentation somewhere detailing how to connect to the host's docker instance (which I can't find).

Reproduce

1. docker run -v /usr/local/bin/docker:/usr/bin/docker -it <repo>/<image>
2. Run docker command docker version and get

   bash: docker: command not found
   

3. The bound volume when you check /usr/bin/docker is actually just an empty folder.

Expected behavior

Command used to just work in giving access to host's docker command inside docker container, as described in this solution:
#4642 (comment)

docker version

Client:
 Cloud integration: v1.0.35+desktop.13
 Version:           26.1.1
 API version:       1.45
 Go version:        go1.21.9
 Git commit:        4cf5afa
 Built:             Tue Apr 30 11:48:43 2024
 OS/Arch:           windows/amd64
 Context:           default

Server: Docker Desktop 4.30.0 (149282)
 Engine:
  Version:          26.1.1
  API version:      1.45 (minimum version 1.24)
  Go version:       go1.21.9
  Git commit:       ac2de55
  Built:            Tue Apr 30 11:48:28 2024
  OS/Arch:          linux/amd64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          1.6.31
  GitCommit:        e377cd56a71523140ca6ae87e30244719194a521
 runc:
  Version:          1.1.12
  GitCommit:        v1.1.12-0-g51d5e94
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

docker info

Client:
 Version:    26.1.1
 Context:    default
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.14.0-desktop.1
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-buildx.exe
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.27.0-desktop.2
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-compose.exe
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.29
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-debug.exe
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.2
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-dev.exe
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.23
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-extension.exe
  feedback: Provide feedback, right in your terminal! (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.4
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-feedback.exe
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.1.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-init.exe
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-sbom.exe
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.8.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-scout.exe

Server:
 Containers: 35
  Running: 0
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 35
 Images: 19
 Server Version: 26.1.1
 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: 1
 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: e377cd56a71523140ca6ae87e30244719194a521
 runc version: v1.1.12-0-g51d5e94
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  seccomp
   Profile: unconfined
 Kernel Version: 5.15.146.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2
 Operating System: Docker Desktop
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: x86_64
 CPUs: 12
 Total Memory: 15.54GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: 1e79418c-f141-455c-a173-0f186e609ecd
 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=npipe://\\.\pipe\docker_cli
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false

WARNING: No blkio throttle.read_bps_device support
WARNING: No blkio throttle.write_bps_device support
WARNING: No blkio throttle.read_iops_device support
WARNING: No blkio throttle.write_iops_device support
WARNING: daemon is not using the default seccomp profile

Diagnostics ID

7649BA3E-A3D0-45FE-9AF4-FA3C03C9B024/20240515024124

Additional Info

No response