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docker: 'compose' is not a docker command

4 votes
4 answers
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I installed the docker-engine in macOS from https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/mac-install/ which says, > The Docker Desktop installation includes Docker Engine, Docker CLI client, *Docker Compose*, Notary, Kubernetes, and Credential Helper. But when using docker-compose, I'm getting: docker: 'compose' is not a docker command. What's wrong please? Full log:
$ /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker -v
Docker version 24.0.7, build afdd53b

$ /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker-compose -v
docker: 'compose' is not a docker command.
See 'docker --help'

$ sw_vers
ProductName:            macOS
ProductVersion:         14.2.1
BuildVersion:           23C71
**UPDATE:** It's an *invalid* question -- the problem is else where:
$ type docker
docker is /usr/local/bin/docker

$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/docker*
ls: cannot read symbolic link '/usr/local/bin/docker': Permission denied
ls: cannot read symbolic link '/usr/local/bin/docker-credential-desktop': Permission denied
ls: cannot read symbolic link '/usr/local/bin/docker-credential-ecr-login': Permission denied
ls: cannot read symbolic link '/usr/local/bin/docker-credential-osxkeychain': Permission denied
ls: cannot read symbolic link '/usr/local/bin/docker-index': Permission denied
lrwxr-x--x 1 root wheel 54 Feb  2 13:46 /usr/local/bin/docker
lrwxr-x--x 1 root wheel 73 Feb  2 13:46 /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-desktop
lrwxr-x--x 1 root wheel 75 Feb  2 13:46 /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-ecr-login
lrwxr-x--x 1 root wheel 77 Feb  2 13:46 /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-osxkeychain
lrwxr-x--x 1 root wheel 60 Feb  2 13:46 /usr/local/bin/docker-index
I.e., I symlink docker apps into /usr/local/bin/ but somehow they failed:
$ sudo rm /usr/local/bin/docker*

$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/docker*
ls: cannot access '/usr/local/bin/docker*': No such file or directory

$ sudo ln -s /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker /usr/local/bin

$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/docker*
ls: cannot read symbolic link '/usr/local/bin/docker': Permission denied
lrwxr-x--x 1 root wheel 54 Feb  3 15:09 /usr/local/bin/docker
However, I don't know how, but after I tried it several times, it is suddenly working:
$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/docker*
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 54 Feb  3 15:15 /usr/local/bin/docker -> /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 62 Feb  3 15:15 /usr/local/bin/docker-compose -> /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker-compose
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 73 Feb  3 15:15 /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-desktop -> /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker-credential-desktop
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 75 Feb  3 15:15 /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-ecr-login -> /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker-credential-ecr-login
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 77 Feb  3 15:15 /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-osxkeychain -> /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker-credential-osxkeychain
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root wheel 60 Feb  3 15:15 /usr/local/bin/docker-index -> /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/bin/docker-index

$ docker-compose -v
Docker Compose version v2.23.3-desktop.2
I don't know why it didn't work and, I don't know how it works again, so I'm accepting whatever answer I have and move on.
Asked by xpt (445 rep)
Feb 3, 2024, 05:10 PM
Last activity: Jun 2, 2024, 10:05 PM