Error response from daemon: is vmnetd running?

[rbouma]

• I have tried with the latest version of Docker Desktop
• I have tried disabling enabled experimental features
• I have uploaded Diagnostics
• Diagnostics ID: 1890E3D2-2574-45D2-87A9-131871CF2E43/20230113085338

Expected behavior

When running our local devstack it needs to be binding to port 53 (priviliged port) and it needs to have the vmnetd running but is isn't stated in the error:
Error response from daemon: Ports are not available: exposing port UDP 127.0.0.1:53 -> 0.0.0.0:0: failed to connect to /var/run/com.docker.vmnetd.sock: is vmnetd running?: dial unix /var/run/com.docker.vmnetd.sock: connect: no such file or directory

in the docs stated the following:
If the privileged helper process is not running, Docker Desktop prompts the user for authorization to run it under launchd.

The priviliged port helper vmnet deamon needs to be installed when a prompt pops up and give permission.

Actual behavior

The prompt for installing the deamon never pops up and throws this error:
Error response from daemon: Ports are not available: exposing port UDP 127.0.0.1:53 -> 0.0.0.0:0: failed to connect to /var/run/com.docker.vmnetd.sock: is vmnetd running?: dial unix /var/run/com.docker.vmnetd.sock: connect: no such file or directory

This happens every restart of docker for mac

Information

• macOS Version: Ventura 13.1
• Intel chip or Apple chip: M1 pro
• Docker Desktop Version: v4.16.0

Output of /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/com.docker.diagnose check

/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/com.docker.diagnose check
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?
[PASS] 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.

Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. install docker desktop for mac 4.16.0
2. stop and close your docker, then start it again
3. docker-compose.yml >

version: "3.9"
services:
dnsmasq:
  container_name: dnsmasq
  image: rollupdev/dnsmasq
  ports:
  - mode: ingress
    host_ip: 127.0.0.1
    target: 53
    published: "53"
    protocol: udp
  restart: always

4. docker compose up
5. you got error Error response from daemon: Ports are not available: exposing port UDP 127.0.0.1:53 -> 0.0.0.0:0: failed to connect to /var/run/com.docker.vmnetd.sock: is vmnetd running?: dial unix /var/run/com.docker.vmnetd.sock: connect: no such file or directory

[rbouma]

We fixed this temporary manually for now via:

we need to do this after every restart of docker desktop

check if the vmnetd launch service exists in /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.docker.vmnetd otherwise copy them over with:

sudo cp /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Library/LaunchServices/com.docker.vmnetd /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.docker.vmnetd

check if the launch deamon exists in /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.vmnetd.plist otherwise create it with:

sudo tee -a /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.vmnetd.plist > /dev/null <<EOT
        <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
        <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
        <plist version="1.0">
        <dict>
                <key>Label</key>
                <string>com.docker.vmnetd</string>
                <key>Program</key>
                <string>/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.docker.vmnetd</string>
                <key>ProgramArguments</key>
                <array>
                        <string>/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.docker.vmnetd</string>
                </array>
                <key>RunAtLoad</key>
                <true/>
                <key>Sockets</key>
                <dict>
                        <key>Listener</key>
                        <dict>
                                <key>SockPathMode</key>
                                <integer>438</integer>
                                <key>SockPathName</key>
                                <string>/var/run/com.docker.vmnetd.sock</string>
                        </dict>
                </dict>
                <key>Version</key>
                <string>64</string>
        </dict>
        </plist>
EOT

Last step is stop the vmnetd service if it is already running, unload, load the service and then start the vmnetd service again

sudo launchctl stop com.docker.vmnetd
sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.vmnetd.plist
sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.vmnetd.plist
sudo launchctl start com.docker.vmnetd

this fixed our issue. but it will be better if docker is prompting for installing the deamon to use privileged ports such as 53

[aiordache]

Hi @rbouma.
Looking at the logs you uploaded, we found a failed vmnetd install but no details on the actual error apart from an exit status.
You can use the commands below to remove/install vmnetd:

/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/install remove-vmnetd
/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/install vmnetd

Do you mind trying them and check if the install is returning an error and if you can get more details on it please? Thanks!

[rbouma]

@aiordache

❯ /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/install remove-vmnetd
❯ /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/install vmnetd
Error: parsing Info.plist: reading plist /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Info.Plist: open /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Info.Plist: no such file or directory

found out that the Info.plist exists

❯ ls -altrh /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/
drwxr-xr-x user admin 128 B  Thu Dec  1 11:40:33 2022  Library
drwxr-xr-x user admin  96 B  Thu Dec  1 11:40:33 2022  Frameworks
.rw-r--r-- user admin   8 B  Thu Dec  1 11:40:34 2022  PkgInfo
.rw-r--r-- user admin 7.5 KB Thu Dec  1 11:40:37 2022  embedded.provisionprofile
drwxr-xr-x user admin  96 B  Thu Dec  1 11:40:37 2022  _CodeSignature
.rw-r--r-- user admin 3.4 KB Tue Jan 10 19:20:28 2023  Info.plist
drwxr-xr-x user admin 320 B  Fri Jan 13 09:22:00 2023  .
drwxr-xr-x user admin 608 B  Fri Jan 13 09:22:03 2023  MacOS
drwxr-xr-x user admin 512 B  Fri Jan 13 09:22:05 2023  Resources
drwxr-xr-x user admin  96 B  Fri Jan 13 09:26:22 2023  ..

We are all using Case Sensitive File System so Info.Plist is non exists on the system

After rename the file with sudo mv /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Info.plist /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Info.Plist the install commands does work

after correcting the name docker is not starting anymore so needed it to rename it back to Info.plist

It is working now without any problem even when i restart docker desktop or the whole system the error is not seen anymore.

So i think this is an issue due to our file system that is case sensitive and the names with the Info.plist and Info.Plist

---

Update: 01-16-2023
Information
macOS Version: Ventura 13.1
Intel chip or Apple chip: Intel i9
Docker Desktop Version: v4.16.1

Again confirmed by a colleague running after running:

/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/install remove-vmnetd
sudo mv /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Info.plist /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Info.Plist
/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/install vmnetd
sudo mv /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Info.Plist /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Info.plist

it is working again.

So naming of the Info.Plist is not right.

[aiordache]

Sorry for this bug @rbouma. We'll get a fix in for the next release. Can you maybe duplicate the file and have it with both .Plist and .plist until then?

[rbouma]

@aiordache Yes i have both files in the directory and so far it is running good. Will wait for the next release thanks!

[mat007]

We have just released Docker Desktop 4.16.2 with a fix!

[rbouma]

@mat007 great! Thanks

[docker-robott]

Closed issues are locked after 30 days of inactivity.
This helps our team focus on active issues.

If you have found a problem that seems similar to this, please open a new issue.

/lifecycle locked

[monaw]

i know this is closed but in case this helps anyone...in my case (MacOS 13.4, Docker Desktop Version 4.20.1), the steps mentioned above by rbouma, updated on 1-16 was close but didn't work. these steps worked for me:

1. /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/install remove-vmnetd
2. sudo /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/install vmnetd

[jonmann20]

same as @monaw was happening for me on MacOS 13.4 and Docker Desktop 4.20.1

[alanzheng88]

thanks @monaw! that resolved it for me on MacOS 13.4 and docker desktop 4.20.1