docs(docs): improve Docker daemon troubleshooting for all platforms (#24922)

Improves the Docker daemon troubleshooting in the quickstart and Docker
install docs:

- Renames the quickstart entry from "Cannot connect to the Docker daemon
on Linux" to cover all platforms.
- Adds a plain-English explanation of what the error means (Docker is
not installed or not running).
- Adds tabbed macOS/Linux/Windows instructions to the quickstart (macOS
and Windows were missing).
- Simplifies the Linux steps to match what Step 1 of the quickstart
already teaches.
- Adds a matching entry to `docs/install/docker.md` with a cross-link to
the quickstart for platform-specific steps.

Supersedes #24907 which was closed without merging.

Fixes https://linear.app/codercom/issue/DEVREL-23

> Generated with [Coder Agents](https://coder.com/agents)
This commit is contained in:
Ben Potter
2026-05-05 12:44:39 -05:00
committed by GitHub
parent f6779af072
commit cfce751b8a
2 changed files with 50 additions and 16 deletions
+13
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@@ -96,6 +96,19 @@ Replace `ghcr.io/coder/coder:latest` in the `docker run` command in the
## Troubleshooting ## Troubleshooting
### Cannot connect to the Docker daemon
If you see an error like:
```text
Error: Error pinging Docker server: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?
```
Docker is not installed or not running on the host. Install Docker and start the
daemon before creating a workspace from a Docker-based template. Refer to the
[quickstart troubleshooting](../tutorials/quickstart.md#cannot-connect-to-the-docker-daemon)
for platform-specific steps.
### Docker-based workspace is stuck in "Connecting..." ### Docker-based workspace is stuck in "Connecting..."
Ensure you have an externally-reachable `CODER_ACCESS_URL` set. See Ensure you have an externally-reachable `CODER_ACCESS_URL` set. See
+37 -16
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@@ -257,48 +257,69 @@ advanced capabilities that Coder offers.
## Troubleshooting ## Troubleshooting
### Cannot connect to the Docker daemon on Linux ### Cannot connect to the Docker daemon
When creating a workspace from a Docker template, you may see an error like:
```text ```text
Error: Error pinging Docker server: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running? Error: Error pinging Docker server: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?
``` ```
1. Install Docker for your system, if you haven't already done so: This means Docker is either not installed or not running on the machine where
Coder is running. Docker must be running before you create a workspace from a
Docker-based template.
<div class="tabs">
#### macOS
1. If Docker Desktop is not installed,
[install it](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/mac-install/) or
use Homebrew:
```shell
brew install --cask docker-desktop
```
1. Open Docker Desktop and verify that it is running.
#### Linux
1. Install Docker, if you haven't already:
```shell ```shell
curl -sSL https://get.docker.com | sh curl -sSL https://get.docker.com | sh
``` ```
1. Set up the Docker daemon in rootless mode for your user to run Docker as a 1. Start the Docker daemon:
non-privileged user:
```shell ```shell
dockerd-rootless-setuptool.sh install sudo systemctl start docker
``` ```
Depending on your system's dependencies, you might need to run other commands 1. Assign your user to the `docker` group so Coder can access the daemon
before you retry this step. Read the output of this command for further without root:
instructions.
1. Assign your user to the Docker group:
```shell ```shell
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker
``` ```
1. Confirm that the user has been added: 1. Confirm the group membership:
```console ```console
$ groups $ groups
docker sudo users docker sudo users
``` ```
- Ubuntu users might not see the group membership update. In that case, run #### Windows
the following command or reboot the machine:
```shell 1. If Docker Desktop is not installed,
newgrp docker [install it](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/windows-install/).
```
1. Open Docker Desktop and verify that it is running.
</div>
### Can't start Coder server: Address already in use ### Can't start Coder server: Address already in use