service docker start doesn't work if systemd is enabled

[prescriptionlifeline]

Windows Version

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26100.2314]

WSL Version

2.3.26.0

Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?

• WSL 2
• WSL 1

Kernel Version

Linux version 5.15.167.4-microsoft-standard-WSL2 (root@f9c826d3017f) (gcc (GCC) 11.2.0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils) 2.37) #1 SMP Tue Nov 5 00:21:55 UTC 2024

Distro Version

Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS

Other Software

docker --version (in WSL / Ubuntu) returns this:

Docker version 25.0.3, build 4debf41

wsl --version (in Windows) returns this:

WSL version: 2.3.26.0
Kernel version: 5.15.167.4-1
WSLg version: 1.0.65
MSRDC version: 1.2.5620
Direct3D version: 1.611.1-81528511
DXCore version: 10.0.26100.1-240331-1435.ge-release
Windows version: 10.0.26100.2314

Repro Steps

service docker start

Expected Behavior

I'd expect service docker start to run without error.

Actual Behavior

service docker start gives this error:

Job for docker.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See "systemctl status docker.service" and "journalctl -xeu docker.service" for details.

Diagnostic Logs

Here's the output of systemctl status docker.service:

× docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine
     Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/docker.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Thu 2024-11-21 04:35:46 CST; 4min 35s ago
TriggeredBy: × docker.socket
       Docs: https://docs.docker.com
    Process: 1922 ExecStart=/usr/bin/dockerd -H fd:// --containerd=/run/containerd/containerd.sock (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
   Main PID: 1922 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Nov 21 04:35:46 DESKTOP-OF86R9V systemd[1]: docker.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 3.
Nov 21 04:35:46 DESKTOP-OF86R9V systemd[1]: Stopped Docker Application Container Engine.
Nov 21 04:35:46 DESKTOP-OF86R9V systemd[1]: docker.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Nov 21 04:35:46 DESKTOP-OF86R9V systemd[1]: docker.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Nov 21 04:35:46 DESKTOP-OF86R9V systemd[1]: Failed to start Docker Application Container Engine.

Here's the output of journalctl -xeu docker.service:

https://pastebin.com/5u5vWS87

If I have this in my /etc/wsl.conf file service docker start doesn't work:

[boot]
systemd=true

If I comment out the systemd=true bit service docker start works but not with that line in place.

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View similar issues

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Closed similar issues:

• docker service doesn't auto-start (#8207), similarity score: 0.75
• systemd Not Booting Up in WSL 2 Despite Configuration in wsl.conf (#11681), similarity score: 0.72
• WSL does not start when Systemd is enabled (#8856), similarity score: 0.71
• WSL Can't start after enabling systemd (#9477), similarity score: 0.71
• OpenSuSE leap 15.4 on WSL2 will not start after enabling systemd (#9602), similarity score: 0.71

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[zcobol]

@prescriptionlifeline docker.service does work under systemd!

Here's sample output on WSL Ubuntu 24.04:

zcobol@miami:~$ systemctl status docker
● docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/docker.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Thu 2024-11-21 07:39:15 PST; 8s ago
TriggeredBy: ● docker.socket
       Docs: https://docs.docker.com
   Main PID: 353 (dockerd)
      Tasks: 12
     Memory: 107.0M ()
     CGroup: /system.slice/docker.service
             └─353 /usr/bin/dockerd -H fd:// --containerd=/run/containerd/containerd.sock

Nov 21 07:39:15 RIPPER dockerd[353]: time="2024-11-21T07:39:15.708219050-08:00" level=info msg="Default bridge (docker0>
Nov 21 07:39:15 RIPPER dockerd[353]: time="2024-11-21T07:39:15.796400334-08:00" level=info msg="Loading containers: don>
Nov 21 07:39:15 RIPPER dockerd[353]: time="2024-11-21T07:39:15.814302060-08:00" level=warning msg="WARNING: No blkio th>
Nov 21 07:39:15 RIPPER dockerd[353]: time="2024-11-21T07:39:15.814338568-08:00" level=warning msg="WARNING: No blkio th>
Nov 21 07:39:15 RIPPER dockerd[353]: time="2024-11-21T07:39:15.814346714-08:00" level=warning msg="WARNING: No blkio th>
Nov 21 07:39:15 RIPPER dockerd[353]: time="2024-11-21T07:39:15.814351933-08:00" level=warning msg="WARNING: No blkio th>
Nov 21 07:39:15 RIPPER dockerd[353]: time="2024-11-21T07:39:15.814368675-08:00" level=info msg="Docker daemon" commit=4>
Nov 21 07:39:15 RIPPER dockerd[353]: time="2024-11-21T07:39:15.814666644-08:00" level=info msg="Daemon has completed in>
Nov 21 07:39:15 RIPPER dockerd[353]: time="2024-11-21T07:39:15.872367668-08:00" level=info msg="API listen on /run/dock>
Nov 21 07:39:15 RIPPER systemd[1]: Started docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine.
zcobol@miami:~$ wslinfo --wsl-version
2.4.4

[prescriptionlifeline]

In my case I was using Ubuntu 22.04 - not Ubuntu 24.04.

I'll try it under Ubuntu 24.04 when I'm back in the office.

Per the wsl --version output I posted you're also running a newer version of WSL than I am (I'm running 2.3.26 vs your 2.4.4 install). That might could make a difference as well.