docker.errors.DockerException: Error while fetching server API version

Question

I want to install this module but there is something wrong when I try the step docker-compose build ...

I tried to update the Docker version and restart Docker many times. But it didn't work.

git clone https://github.com/uhh-lt/158.git
cd 158
docker-compose build

File "/home/ming/.local/bin/docker-compose", line 8, in <module>
    sys.exit(main())
  File "/home/ming/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/compose/cli/main.py", line 67, in main
    command()
  File "/home/ming/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/compose/cli/main.py", line 123, in perform_command
    project = project_from_options('.', options)
  File "/home/ming/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/compose/cli/command.py", line 60, in project_from_options
    return get_project(
  File "/home/ming/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/compose/cli/command.py", line 131, in get_project
    client = get_client(
  File "/home/ming/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/compose/cli/docker_client.py", line 41, in get_client
    client = docker_client(
  File "/home/ming/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/compose/cli/docker_client.py", line 170, in docker_client
    client = APIClient(**kwargs)
  File "/home/ming/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/docker/api/client.py", line 188, in __init__
    self._version = self._retrieve_server_version()
  File "/home/ming/.local/lib/python3.8/site-packages/docker/api/client.py", line 212, in _retrieve_server_version
    raise DockerException(
docker.errors.DockerException: Error while fetching server API version: ('Connection aborted.', FileNotFoundError(2, 'No such file or directory'))

Update 2020-11-23

Thanks for two of you helping me with the error! I tried the commend but can't connect to my Docker:

ming@KITM-7664:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/docker start
[sudo] password for ming:
 * Starting Docker: docker                                                                                       [ OK ]

ming@KITM-7664:~$ which docker
/usr/bin/docker

ming@KITM-7664:~$ docker version
Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:           19.03.13
 API version:       1.40
 Go version:        go1.13.15
 Git commit:        4484c46d9d
 Built:             Wed Sep 16 17:02:52 2020
 OS/Arch:           linux/amd64
 Experimental:      false
Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?

ming@KITM-7664:~$ systemctl status docker
System has not been booted with systemd as init system (PID 1). Can't operate.
Failed to connect to bus: Host is down

ming@KITM-7664:~$ systemctl start docker
System has not been booted with systemd as init system (PID 1). Can't operate.
Failed to connect to bus: Host is down

ming@KITM-7664:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/docker start
 * Starting Docker: docker                                                                                       [ OK ]

ming@KITM-7664:~$ docker version
Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:           19.03.13
 API version:       1.40
 Go version:        go1.13.15
 Git commit:        4484c46d9d
 Built:             Wed Sep 16 17:02:52 2020
 OS/Arch:           linux/amd64
 Experimental:      false
Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?

Answer 1

Are you sure docker is running on your system? You can get that error when compose is not able to connect to docker via docker socket (if any other way for connection is not defined).

If you are running on linux, usually you can run systemctl status docker to check if docker daemon is running and systemctl start docker to start it.

It would help to tell what OS and docker version are you using.

Answer 2

set the permission like this,

sudo chmod 666 /var/run/docker.sock

Answer 3

When used WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) need to enable 'WSL Integration' for required distro in Windows Docker Desktop (Settings -> Resources-> WSL Integration -> Enable integration with required distros).

Answer 4

By default, the docker command can only be run the root user or by a user in the docker group, which is automatically created during Docker’s installation process. If you want to avoid typing sudo whenever you run the docker command, add your username to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker ${USER}

To apply the new group membership, log out of the server and back in, or type the following:

su - ${USER}

You will be prompted to enter your user’s password to continue.