π ~1 min read
Table of contents
Symptom & Impact
Containers cannot run because dockerd exits during startup.
Environment & Reproduction
Common after distro upgrades with changed cgroup defaults.
Root Cause Analysis
Docker runtime settings conflict with cgroup v2/systemd expectations.
Quick Triage
Collect dockerd logs and verify active cgroup mode.
Step-by-Step Diagnosis
Inspect daemon.json and container runtime compatibility.
Solution – Primary Fix
Use systemd cgroup driver and restart docker/containerd cleanly.
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Solution – Alternative Approaches
Upgrade Docker Engine to a build fully aligned with unified cgroup hierarchy.
Verification & Acceptance Criteria
Daemon stays active and test containers launch successfully.
Rollback Plan
Revert daemon.json and restart service if custom options regress workloads.
Prevention & Hardening
Pin validated engine/runtime versions and test cluster nodes before broad rollout.
Related Errors & Cross-Refs
failed to create shim task, cgroup mountpoint does not exist.
Related tutorial: View the step-by-step tutorial for Debian 13.
View all Debian 13 tutorials on the Tutorials Hub β
Browse all common problems & solutions on the Tutorials Hub.
References & Further Reading
Docker on Debian and cgroup v2 migration documentation.
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