WSL 2.5.4 Breaks Docker Desktop for Windows - Will not start

[FlattusBlastus]

Windows Version

Windows 11

WSL Version

2.5.4

Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?

• WSL 2
• WSL 1

Kernel Version

6.6 I guess

Distro Version

None

Other Software

No response

Repro Steps

Boot PC. DD fails to launches but the engine does not.

Expected Behavior

Boot PC. DD starts automatically.

Actual Behavior

DD fails to launches but the engine does not.

Diagnostic Logs

Just a heads up - moved back to 2.4.13 asap

[github-actions]

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[aepot]

Same for Docker Desktop 4.39.0 + WSL 2.5.4 pre-release

Docker Engine shuts down with error:

running engine: waiting for the Docker API: engine linux/wsl failed to run: starting WSL engine:
error spotted in wslbootstrap log: "[2025-03-26T16:59:21.508166733Z][wsl-bootstrap][F] context canceled"

The error pops up not every time. Not sure if it's connected to the issue directly.

C:\> wsl --version
WSL version: 2.5.4.0
Kernel version: 6.6.75.1-1
WSLg version: 1.0.66
MSRDC version: 1.2.6074
Direct3D version: 1.611.1-81528511
DXCore version: 10.0.26100.1-240331-1435.ge-release
Windows version: 10.0.26100.3194

# uname -a
Linux docker-desktop 6.6.75.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Sat Feb  8 02:00:20 UTC 2025 x86_64 Linux

Downgraded back to 2.5.1 pre-release, it works fine now.

UPD: I don't use .wslconfig, there's no such file in my profile.

[justknife]

I got the same error, and the fix was to add .wslconfig to the user's windows directory with the following parameters:

[boot]
systemd=true
[automount]
enabled=true
mountFsTab=true

[Tristan-MyAnaPro]

I just updated, have DD 4.39.0 and WSL 2.5.4.0 and I don't have any issue 🤔

Does the problem appear only when opening the session after a cold start or anytime DD tries to starts?

I got the same error, and the fix was to add .wslconfig to the user's windows directory with the following parameters:

[boot]
systemd=true
[automount]
enabled=true
mountFsTab=true

@justknife These are all already the same as the default values, so if you didn't had a .wslconfig file, it should not change anything (see https://learn.microsoft.com/fr-fr/windows/wsl/wsl-config#automount-settings)

[justknife]

I just updated, have DD 4.39.0 and WSL 2.5.4.0 and I don't have any issue 🤔

Does the problem appear only when opening the session after a cold start or anytime DD tries to starts?

I got the same error, and the fix was to add .wslconfig to the user's windows directory with the following parameters:

[boot]
systemd=true
[automount]
enabled=true
mountFsTab=true

@justknife These are all already the same as the default values, so if you didn't had a .wslconfig file, it should not change anything (see https://learn.microsoft.com/fr-fr/windows/wsl/wsl-config#automount-settings)

Before these parameters were explicitly declared, Docker crashed with errors similar to those seen by the users above.

[alexey-us]

Got same error:

WSL version: 2.5.4.0
Kernel version: 6.6.75.1-1
WSLg version: 1.0.66
MSRDC version: 1.2.6074
Direct3D version: 1.611.1-81528511
DXCore version: 10.0.26100.1-240331-1435.ge-release
Windows version: 10.0.26200.5510

If create .wslconfig and add strings written above, my wsl VM cuss at them :)

wsl -d docker-desktop
wsl: Unknown key 'automount.crossDistro' in /etc/wsl.conf:3

I have another one machine with Windows version 10.0.26120.1843, all other versions is same, all working fine

How to rollback to previous version?

[auriz24]

Does the problem appear only when opening the session after a cold start or anytime DD tries to starts?

I'm experiencing the issue in both scenarios. The issue "Docker Engine stopped" is always present when launching Docker Desktop after having restarted the PC. Then, if I close/re-open Docker, I'd say it's 50/50 on whether the docker engine will start successfully or fail to start.

Docker Docker Desktop 4.39.0
WSL 2.5.4.0
Windows 11 24H2 Build 26100.3476

Edit: updated the findings

[Tristan-MyAnaPro]

If create .wslconfig and add strings written above, my wsl VM cuss at them :)

wsl -d docker-desktop
wsl: Unknown key 'automount.crossDistro' in /etc/wsl.conf:3

WSL raise an error in the event viewer about automount.crossDistro for me too since the 2.5.1 pre-release. It seems to only be a warning and never caused any problem on my side.

Does the problem appear only when opening the session after a cold start or anytime DD tries to starts?

I'm experiencing the issue in both scenarios. The issue "Docker Engine stopped" is always present when launching Docker Desktop after having restarted the PC. Then, if I close/re-open Docker, I'd say it's 50/50 on whether the docker engine will start successfully or fail to start.

Docker Docker Desktop 4.39.0 WSL 2.5.4.0 Windows 11 24H2 Build 26100.3476

That's weird...

My versions are:
WSL 2.5.4.0
Docker 4.39.0
Windows 24H2 (build 26100.3476)

I have docker desktop starting when I open my session and my WSL distro is Debian.

We seem to share the same versions on pretty much anything but I have no docker error! 🤔

I re-tried today with a cold boot, a reboot, shutting down and restarting docker without shutting down WSL, down and restarting docker after a wsl --shutdown... No error whatsoever...

I guess I can only wish you all a good luck 🤣

---

BTW, last time I had a serious problem with DD and WSL (no docker.sock was available in WSL), I had to uninstall Docker Desktop completely (which mean manually deleting files and folder in AppData and all following this doc : https://docs.docker.com/desktop/uninstall/ )

Maybe worth giving it a try? (It will delete any volume, container etc., make backups if you don't want to lose any data related to docker!)

[alexey-us]

Completely remove Docker and reinstall, no luck. Docker running and immediately stopped, tried Docker Desktop 4.38, instead 4.39

---

Update:
Remove Docker Desktop, WSL, Virtual Machine Platform feature, and current VM on Ubuntu 22.04, then re-install WSL by "wsl --install" with auto add Windows Features, add new distro Ubuntu 24.04. Then install Docker Desktop 4.38.0 (prev version) and all working fine.

After Docker start I have error "checking distro state for "Ubuntu-24.04": Get "http://ipc/check?distro=Ubuntu-24.04": context deadline exceeded: unexpected error", but Docker Desktop working fine

After update to latest Docker Desktop with no issue!

[FlattusBlastus]

running engine: waiting for the Docker API: engine linux/wsl failed to run: starting WSL engine: error spotted in wslbootstrap log: "[2025-03-29T21:22:18.642773538Z][wsl-bootstrap][F] context canceled"

Reverting again

[craigktreasure]

I've reverted back to the stable builds (2.4.13.0) by running:

wsl --uninstall
wsl --install --no-distribution

Docker Desktop now starts just fine.

[OneBlue]

running engine: waiting for the Docker API: engine linux/wsl failed to run: starting WSL engine: error spotted in wslbootstrap log: "[2025-03-29T21:22:18.642773538Z][wsl-bootstrap][F] context canceled"

Reverting again

@FlattusBlastus: Could you capture /logs of this failure ? That would help us understand what's causing this