Running Docker as non-root user

Question

I'm trying to run docker as a non-root user. When I try, I get the following error:

$ docker ps
FATA[0000] Get http:///var/run/docker.sock/v1.18/containers/json: dial unix /var/run/docker.sock: permission denied. Are you trying to connect to a TLS-enabled daemon without TLS? 

I can run docker as root:

$ sudo docker ps
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE               COMMAND             CREATED             STATUS              PORTS               NAMES
[...]

I've put this user into a Unix group docker:

$ groups
domain users docker suappprod stashadmin config_mgmt remote server access sudevmail sudevsvn

However, it still appears that this user cannot run most of the docker commands without sudoing as root.

I am on an older version of docker:

$ docker --version
Docker version 1.6.1, build a8a31ef/1.6.1

I know that the latest is 1.10, and it's possible for our company to update all of the docker installs to 1.9.2, but that will take a lot of effort and time.

Is there something else I need to look at? The user has been logged in and out multiple times. I have not rebooted the system yet.

Answer 1

Adding users to the Docker group (since Docker group has full control to the socket)

As root, add the user to the docker group:

• Cat /etc/group
• gpasswd -a <username> docker
• Exit (as root)
• Log off
• Log in as the user, and attempt to run "Docker PS" to validate.

This is how I've been able to set it up on my Ubuntu systems time and time again.

Answer 2

Check what this command gives --> ls -l /var/run/docker.sock You may want to change the permissions of this file using chmod (Ex: sudo chmod 777 /var/run/docker.sock) depending on what permissions you want to give.