Resolving connection refused Errors in Docker and Docker Compose Without Sudo

Learn how to troubleshoot and resolve the common `connection refused` issue encountered in Docker and Docker Compose when not using sudo. Simple steps to fix the issue and understand underlying causes.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/66250005/ asked by the user 'Dawid Laszuk' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/2687601/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/66251269/ provided by the user 'Dawid Laszuk' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/2687601/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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Troubleshooting Connection Refused Errors in Docker and Docker Compose Without Sudo

Docker is an incredibly powerful tool for managing applications within containers. However, sometimes users face issues that can be quite frustrating. One common problem is encountering a connection refused error when trying to use docker or docker-compose without sudo.

The Problem at Hand

After a recent change to your system (which may have been completely unintentional), you find yourself in a situation where:

Running the docker command without sudo causes it to hang indefinitely.

Using docker-compose without sudo returns a series of connection stack traces, particularly for commands like docker-compose ps.

Despite being part of the docker group and having likely run commands successfully before, something has disrupted the connection to the Docker daemon, making it impossible to work without sudo.

Common Symptoms of the Connection Refused Error

Docker Command Hangs: Using docker <command> hangs indefinitely.

Docker Compose Issue: Commands like docker-compose ps returned errors such as ConnectionRefusedError and stack traces related to connection failures.

Understanding User Permissions

Here is a quick check confirming that the user belongs to the docker group:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This confirms user permissions should allow running Docker commands without sudo.

The Solution: Step-By-Step

Step 1: Remove the Dead Context

In my case, the root cause of the problem was linked to a dead Docker context entry. Here’s how to remove it:

Run the command to remove the problematic context (in this case called “remote”):

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Update the Default Context

Even if docker context ls shows that default is being used, you should still ensure that it's set explicitly:

Update the context to default:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Unset the Environment Variable

A temporary fix may have been to set the DOCKER_HOST variable. To ensure everything functions properly without sudo, unset this variable:

Unset the environment variable:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Summary of Commands

Putting it together, here’s what you should run in your terminal to resolve the issue:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

What Caused the Problem?

Understanding the background can aid in preventing similar issues in the future. The problem originated from a remote context that pointed to an SSH endpoint. I had configured my SSH so that the context referenced my domain, but the host associated with it was no longer active.

Initially, efforts to fix the issue involved completely purging Docker from my local Ubuntu host. However, the Docker context itself wasn’t removed during that process, which caused confusion later on.

Conclusion

If you find yourself grappling with connection refused errors in Docker and Docker Compose without using sudo, following these steps should help you troubleshoot and resolve them effectively. Remember, it's always good to systematically check your contexts and environment configurations—these are common culprits behind such issues. Happy Dockering!

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