Start docker-machine On Boot

Question

I have a docker-machine called default . I am trying to get it to start upon boot. I can do it upon log in but I need it without having to log in.

I have put the following file in both /LaunchAgents/com.docker.machine.default.plist and /LaunchDaemons/com.docker.machine.default.plist , both of which aren't working.

/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.machine.default.plist

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
        <key>RunAtLoad</key>
        <true/>
        <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
        <dict>
            <key>PATH</key>
            <string>/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin</string>
        </dict>
        <key>Label</key>
        <string>com.docker.machine.default</string>
        <key>ProgramArguments</key>
        <array>
            <string>/usr/local/bin/docker-machine</string>
            <string>start</string>
            <string>default</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
</plist>

I have also run sudo chmod 640 on both files in case there was a permission issue as described here .

When I run, sudo launchctl load -w com.docker.machine.default.plist as described in the tutorial I get "service already loaded".

The service is definitely not running as I have checked using docker-machine ls and docker-machine status default and the machine is stopped on start up.

Update

I have added logging into my LaunchDaemon and get the following output.

Host does not exist: "default"

I then run docker-machine ls and I get:

NAME      ACTIVE   DRIVER       STATE     URL   SWARM   DOCKER    ERRORS
default   -        virtualbox   Stopped                 Unknown   

As you can see the machine is there. If I run docker-machine start default manually, it starts up fine...

Starting "default"...
(default) Check network to re-create if needed...
(default) Waiting for an IP...
Machine "default" was started.
Waiting for SSH to be available...
Detecting the provisioner...
Started machines may have new IP addresses. You may need to re-run the `docker-machine env` command.

Answer 1

Services from /Library/LaunchDaemons by default run as root user. root have no any docker machines. You can specify user (jenkins in my case) as

<key>UserName</key>
<string>jenkins</string>

For more documentation you can use man launchd.plist .

Full org.vovkasm.docker-machine.plist that I'am use for jenkins user:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
  <dict>
    <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
    <dict>
        <key>PATH</key>
        <string>/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin</string>
    </dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>org.vovkasm.docker-machine</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/usr/local/opt/docker-machine/bin/docker-machine</string>
        <string>start</string>
        <string>default</string>
    </array>
    <key>RunAtLoad</key>
    <true/>
    <key>WorkingDirectory</key>
    <string>/usr/local</string>
    <key>UserName</key>
    <string>jenkins</string>
  </dict>
</plist>