docker-credential-desktop 🐳 Docker

error getting credentials - err: exec: "docker-credential-desktop": executable file not found in $PATH

~/.docker/config.json tells Docker to use a credential helper (desktop, osxkeychain, wincred) that isn’t installed or on PATH.

Seen on: Docker

Meaning

After uninstalling Docker Desktop, switching to Colima/OrbStack, or in WSL, config.json still says "credsStore": "desktop", so every pull/login fails before contacting the registry.

Common causes

  • Docker Desktop removed but its credsStore setting left behind
  • Using Colima/Rancher/WSL with Desktop’s config
  • Helper binary not on PATH in CI/sudo

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Remove the "credsStore" line from ~/.docker/config.json
  2. Or install the matching docker-credential-* helper
  3. Log in again

Detailed fix by platform

Shell

  1. bash
    cat ~/.docker/config.json
# delete: "credsStore": "desktop"   then
docker login

How to diagnose

  1. Config — credsStore/credHelpers in ~/.docker/config.json
  2. Helper — which docker-credential-desktop

🔧 Still not fixed?

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