Building a Dev Container: unable to prepare context: unable to evaluate symlinks in Dockerfile path

[jbcpollak]

This happens with Dev Containers extension 0.255.2 that was just released, reverting to 0.251.0 fixes the problem.

• VSCode Version: 1.71.2
• Local OS Version: 20.04
• Remote OS Version: 20.04
• Remote Extension/Connection Type: Containers
• Logs:

[2022-10-06T21:41:08.823Z] Stop (1135 ms): Run: docker build -t dev_container_feature_content_temp -f /tmp/devcontainercli-jpollak/container-features/0.19.0-1665092467661/Dockerfile.buildContent /tmp/devcontainercli-jpollak/container-features/0.19.0-1665092467661
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.824Z] Docker Compose override file for building image:
version: '3'

services:
  dill:
    image: vsc-dill-103ee479de0f5df8a7a34e89f897c386
    build:
      dockerfile: /tmp/devcontainercli-jpollak/container-features/0.19.0-1665092467661/Dockerfile-with-features
      target: dev_containers_target_stage
      context: /home/jpollak/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/data/empty-folder
      args:
        - BUILDKIT_INLINE_CACHE=1
        - _DEV_CONTAINERS_BASE_IMAGE=dev_container_auto_added_stage_label
        - _DEV_CONTAINERS_IMAGE_USER=dill
        - _DEV_CONTAINERS_FEATURE_CONTENT_SOURCE=dev_container_feature_content_temp

[2022-10-06T21:41:08.825Z] Start: Run: docker compose --project-name dill_devcontainer -f /home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yaml -f /home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill/.devcontainer/docker-compose.gpu.yaml -f /home/jpollak/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/data/docker-compose/docker-compose.devcontainer.build-1665092468824.yml build
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.870Z] 1 error occurred:
	* unable to prepare context: unable to evaluate symlinks in Dockerfile path: lstat /home/jpollak/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/data/empty-folder/tmp: no such file or directory


[2022-10-06T21:41:08.872Z] Stop (47 ms): Run: docker compose --project-name dill_devcontainer -f /home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yaml -f /home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill/.devcontainer/docker-compose.gpu.yaml -f /home/jpollak/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/data/docker-compose/docker-compose.devcontainer.build-1665092468824.yml build
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.874Z] Error: Command failed: docker compose --project-name dill_devcontainer -f /home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yaml -f /home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill/.devcontainer/docker-compose.gpu.yaml -f /home/jpollak/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/data/docker-compose/docker-compose.devcontainer.build-1665092468824.yml build
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.874Z]     at pd (/home/jpollak/.vscode/extensions/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers-0.255.2/dist/spec-node/devContainersSpecCLI.js:259:426)
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.874Z]     at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:96:5)
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.874Z]     at async ZF (/home/jpollak/.vscode/extensions/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers-0.255.2/dist/spec-node/devContainersSpecCLI.js:259:2424)
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.875Z]     at async XF (/home/jpollak/.vscode/extensions/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers-0.255.2/dist/spec-node/devContainersSpecCLI.js:241:2391)
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.875Z]     at async bD (/home/jpollak/.vscode/extensions/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers-0.255.2/dist/spec-node/devContainersSpecCLI.js:303:2193)
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.875Z]     at async ys (/home/jpollak/.vscode/extensions/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers-0.255.2/dist/spec-node/devContainersSpecCLI.js:303:3182)
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.875Z]     at async UL (/home/jpollak/.vscode/extensions/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers-0.255.2/dist/spec-node/devContainersSpecCLI.js:423:10319)
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.875Z]     at async ML (/home/jpollak/.vscode/extensions/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers-0.255.2/dist/spec-node/devContainersSpecCLI.js:423:10075)
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.877Z] Stop (1658 ms): Run: /snap/code/108/usr/share/code/code --ms-enable-electron-run-as-node /home/jpollak/.vscode/extensions/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers-0.255.2/dist/spec-node/devContainersSpecCLI.js up --user-data-folder /home/jpollak/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/data --docker-compose-path docker compose --workspace-folder /home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill --workspace-mount-consistency cached --id-label devcontainer.local_folder=/home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill --log-level debug --log-format json --config /home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json --default-user-env-probe loginInteractiveShell --mount type=volume,source=vscode,target=/vscode,external=true --skip-post-create --update-remote-user-uid-default on --mount-workspace-git-root true
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.878Z] Exit code 1
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.882Z] Command failed: /snap/code/108/usr/share/code/code --ms-enable-electron-run-as-node /home/jpollak/.vscode/extensions/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers-0.255.2/dist/spec-node/devContainersSpecCLI.js up --user-data-folder /home/jpollak/.config/Code/User/globalStorage/ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers/data --docker-compose-path docker compose --workspace-folder /home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill --workspace-mount-consistency cached --id-label devcontainer.local_folder=/home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill --log-level debug --log-format json --config /home/jpollak/src/pickle/dill/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json --default-user-env-probe loginInteractiveShell --mount type=volume,source=vscode,target=/vscode,external=true --skip-post-create --update-remote-user-uid-default on --mount-workspace-git-root true
[2022-10-06T21:41:08.882Z] Exit code 1

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Rebuild Devcontainer

Does this issue occur when you try this locally?: Yes
Does this issue occur when you try this locally and all extensions are disabled?: No

[chrmarti]

Could you append the full log?

[CosmoFox]

Same problem with Dev Container 0.255.2
After revert to 0.251.0 fixed

[bschlottfeldt]

Had the same problem with Dev Container 0.255.2, but my error message was a bit different : Error response from daemon: unable to find user usernamehere: no matching entries in passwd file. After reverting to version 0.251.0 and deleting the containers in docker, rebuilding again worked.

[bschlottfeldt]

FULL LOG: remoteContainers-2022-10-10T07-54-47.309Z.log

[chrmarti]

@bschlottfeldt Could you append the Dockerfile at C:\Users\BSCHLO~1\AppData\Local\Temp\devcontainercli\container-features\0.19.0-1665388493184\Dockerfile-with-features? (If that is not there anymore, retry with 0.255.2 and look for the path of Dockerfile-with-features in the log.)

[bschlottfeldt]

Do you mean this @chrmarti ?
Dockerfile-with-features.txt

[chrmarti]

The use of ENV for the USER is not captured yet in our code:

ENV USERNAME="vscode"
# ...
USER ${USERNAME}

As a workaround could you use a build arg:

ARG USERNAME="vscode"
ENV USERNAME="${USERNAME}"
# ...
USER ${USERNAME}

[jbcpollak]

We built a workaround for this, but it appears this may be fixed with v0.255.3, can anyone else confirm?

[asami0]

We built a workaround for this, but it appears this may be fixed with v0.255.3, can anyone else confirm?

v0.255.3 still has this.

[KunalBurangi]

Same issue for me too with v0.255.3 ..
the workaround was to revert it to v 0.234.0

[Didjacome]

I have the same problem

all test I tried to run Dev Container Azure Terraform (Community)

on the first attempt I used

docker: 20.10.17
vscode: 1.72.2
dev container extension: 255.4
operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
version OS: 10.0.19044 N/A build 19044
wsl version: 2
WSL operating system: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS release.

Second attempt:

docker: 20.10.20
vscode: 1.72.2
dev container extension: 255.4
operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
version OS: 10.0.19044 N/A build 19044
wsl version: 2
WSL operating system: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS release.

third attempt:

docker: 20.10.17
vscode: 1.71.1
dev container extension: 255.4
operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
version OS: 10.0.19044 N/A build 19044
wsl version: 2
WSL operating system: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS release.

fourth attempt:

docker: 20.10.17
vscode: 1.72.2
dev container extension: 234.0
operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
version OS: 10.0.19044 N/A build 19044
wsl version: 2
WSL operating system: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS release.

fifth attempt:

docker: 20.10.17
vscode: 1.72.2
dev container extension: 255.3
operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
version OS: 10.0.19044 N/A build 19044
wsl version: 2
WSL operating system: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS release.

sixth attempt:

docker: 20.10.17
vscode: 1.72.2
dev container extension: 255.2
operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
version OS: 10.0.19044 N/A build 19044
wsl version: 2
WSL operating system: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS release.

seventh attempt:

docker: 20.10.17
vscode: 1.72.2
dev container extension: 251.0
operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
version OS: 10.0.19044 N/A build 19044
wsl version: 2
WSL operating system: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS release.

[Didjacome]

I was able to solve my case.

I saw that the project folder was created with %20 due to git colone.
I created a new folder called project and git cloned it.
I copied the .devcontainer folder to project and it worked here.

I was left with the folder structure like this:

docker: 20.10.17
vscode: 1.72.2
dev container extension: 234.0
operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
version OS: 10.0.19044 N/A build 19044
wsl version: 2
WSL operating system: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS release.

[chrmarti]

This should be fixed in Dev Containers 0.262.0-pre-release. Could you give that a try and let me know if it indeed fixes this issue? Thanks!

[VSCodeTriageBot]

This bug has been fixed in the latest pre-release!

@jbcpollak, you can help us out by commenting /verified if things are now working as expected.

Happy Coding!

[rzhao271]

Considering #7303 (comment) and #7358 (comment), I'll mark this issue as verified for now.
Feel free to comment on the issue or create a new one if the problem still persists for you.