Docker for Windows and WSL1 to Work together - docker

Question

Exactly the same problem as Ubuntu WSL with docker could not be found
$ docker
The command 'docker' could not be found in this WSL 1 distro.
We recommend to convert this distro to WSL 2 and activate
the WSL integration in Docker Desktop settings.
See https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-windows/wsl/ for details.
But my requirement is different -- I want to
stick with WSL1 (for reasons beyond this topic)
and use Docker for Windows as-is
I.e., I have WSL1 and Docker for Windows installed parallel to each other. This is my current info:
C:> ver
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18363.1379]
C:> wsl -l -v
NAME STATE VERSION
* Debian Running 1
I don't see integration in "Resources -> WSL Integration", and I don't have WSL2 backend enabled in Docker Desktop settings.
Just that I'm getting the above problem -- my docker works anywhere, in CMD, Powershell, git-bash, etc, just not in my WSL.
All solutions that I found are to install Docker for Windows within WSL1 or WSL2, but I want to keep everything as is -- WSL and Docker for Windows installed parallel to each other.
Any solution for that?

Answer 1

The command 'docker' could not be found in this WSL 1 distro.
We recommend to convert this distro to WSL 2 and activate
the WSL integration in Docker Desktop settings.
This means in WSL2, it has a real linux kernel which is required to install docker daemon, then in docker-desktop you could have chance to set docker daemon in WSL2. Otherwise, the docker daemon is running in Hyper-V machine. But, if you stick in WSL1, no chance to run docker-daemon in WSL, so the only option is running docker daemon in Hyper-V machine.
Although above is the fact, still we have chance to let you operate docker ps, docker pull etc. in WSL1 bash just like you operate through CMD, Powershell, git-bash, that is allow Docker to accept requests from remote hosts.
For your case, the steps maybe next:
1. Expose docker daemon in docker desktop settings as next, then click Apply & Restart:
2. Install standalone docker client in WSL1:
$ wget https://download.docker.com/linux/static/stable/x86_64/docker-20.10.5.tgz
$ tar zxvf docker-20.10.5.tgz
$ cd docker
3. Set default docker daemon:
$ export DOCKER_HOST=tcp://localhost:2375
4. Verify docker client command:
$ ./docker info

Answer 2

Just FTA, this is the quick hacky workaround that I found, while trying to solve it myself
Change the C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources\bin\docker file to
#!/usr/bin/env sh
#
# Copyright (c) Docker Inc.
binary=$(basename "$0")
"$binary.exe" "$#"
Then docker can work anywhere now, in CMD, Powershell, git-bash, and as well as WSL1.
Note that this hacky workaround is specially for the situation described in OP, might not work for anything else.

Answer 3

I ran the same issue with Ubuntu 20 Distro when trying to use Docker. Below are steps i followed to resole it:
1- I went to microsoft Store and downloaded a recent distro version of the distro, that was Ubuntu 22.04
2- On powershell as admin, i ran the command wsl -l -v to make sure i have the new version
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl -l -v
NAME STATE VERSION
* Ubuntu Stopped 1
Ubuntu-22.04 Stopped 2
docker-desktop-data Stopped 2
docker-desktop Stopped 2
3- i ran the command: wsl --set-default Ubuntu-22.04 to use wsl 2
I wan now able to use Docker on WSL 2