> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://phidatainc.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Could Not Connect To Docker

> Diagnose Docker daemon connection errors on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

Agno uses the [Docker Engine SDK for Python](https://docs.docker.com/reference/api/engine/sdk/) to run containers. This error means the SDK cannot reach the Docker daemon:

```bash theme={null}
ERROR    Could not connect to docker. Please confirm docker is installed and running
ERROR    Error while fetching server API version: ('Connection aborted.', FileNotFoundError(2, 'No such file or directory'))
```

Run this command in the same shell where you run Agno:

```bash theme={null}
docker version
```

A working connection prints both `Client` and `Server` sections. Use the instructions for your Docker installation if the `Server` section is missing or reports a connection error.

## macOS with Docker Desktop

1. Start Docker Desktop and wait for the engine to report that it is running.
2. Open **Settings > Advanced**.
3. Enable **Allow the default Docker socket to be used**, then apply the change.
4. Run `docker version` again.

This setting creates `/var/run/docker.sock` for SDK clients that use the default socket path. See Docker's [macOS permission requirements](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/mac-permission-requirements/#installing-symlinks) and [Advanced settings](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/settings-and-maintenance/settings/#advanced).

If you cannot enable the setting, point the SDK to Docker Desktop's per-user socket before running Agno:

```bash theme={null}
export DOCKER_HOST="unix://$HOME/.docker/run/docker.sock"
```

## Linux with Docker Desktop

Docker Desktop for Linux uses the `desktop-linux` context and a per-user socket instead of `/var/run/docker.sock`.

Start Docker Desktop, then run:

```bash theme={null}
docker context use desktop-linux
export DOCKER_HOST="unix://$HOME/.docker/desktop/docker.sock"
docker version
```

The context configures the Docker CLI. `DOCKER_HOST` configures SDK clients such as the one Agno uses. See [Using Docker SDKs with Docker Desktop for Linux](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/troubleshoot-and-support/faqs/linuxfaqs/#how-do-i-use-docker-sdks-with-docker-desktop-for-linux).

## Linux with Docker Engine

Start the Docker daemon:

```bash theme={null}
sudo systemctl start docker
docker version
```

If `sudo docker version` succeeds but `docker version` fails with a permission error, add your user to the `docker` group:

```bash theme={null}
sudo usermod -aG docker "$USER"
```

Sign out and back in, then run `docker version` again. The `docker` group grants root-level privileges. Review Docker's [Linux post-installation steps](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/linux-postinstall/#manage-docker-as-a-non-root-user) before adding users to it.

See [Start the daemon](https://docs.docker.com/engine/daemon/start/) for distributions that do not use `systemd`.

## Windows with Docker Desktop

Start Docker Desktop from the Start menu and wait for the engine to report that it is running. Run `docker version` from the same PowerShell, Command Prompt, or WSL distribution where you run Agno.

Windows clients use the `npipe:////./pipe/docker_engine` named pipe by default. Do not create a `/var/run/docker.sock` symlink in PowerShell or Command Prompt. Remove a `DOCKER_HOST` value that points to a Unix socket, then retry. See Docker's [daemon socket reference](https://docs.docker.com/reference/cli/docker/#environment-variables).

If you run Agno inside WSL, enable that distribution under **Docker Desktop > Settings > Resources > WSL Integration**, apply the change, and retry from the WSL shell. See [Enable Docker in a WSL 2 distribution](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/features/wsl/#enable-docker-in-a-wsl-2-distribution).

If Docker Desktop itself does not start, use the [Docker Desktop troubleshooting guide](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/troubleshoot-and-support/troubleshoot/).