Can Docker for Windows with Linux containers run on a VMware vSphere Windows 10 VM?

Question

So I have a Windows 10 VM on VMware vSphere, and I am trying to run Docker for Windows with Linux containers on it. Hyper-V is activated, and Docker for Windows starts up fine if using Windows containers. But when I want to switch to Linux containers, the startup fails with the following error message:

Unable to start: Der ausgeführte Befehl wurde beendet, da die Einstellungsvariable "ErrorActionPreference" oder ein allgemeiner Parameter auf "Stop" festgelegt ist: Fehler beim Starten von "MobyLinuxVM".

Fehler beim Starten des virtuellen Computers "MobyLinuxVM", da eine der Hyper-V-Komponenten nicht ausgeführt wird.

Fehler beim Starten von "MobyLinuxVM" (ID des virtuellen Computers 47AE749A-D0A7-46A0-A45D-C32FB1B49022).

Der virtuelle Computer "MobyLinuxVM" konnte vom Verwaltungsdienst für virtuelle Computer nicht gestartet werden, da eine der Hyper-V-Komponenten nicht ausgeführt wird (ID des virtuellen Computers: 47AE749A-D0A7-46A0-A45D-C32FB1B49022).. bei Start-MobyLinuxVM, : Zeile 300 bei , : Zeile 395 bei Docker.Core.Pipe.NamedPipeClient.Send(String action, Object[] parameters) in C:\\gopath\\src\\github.com\\docker\\pinata\\win\\src\\Docker.Core\\pipe\\NamedPipeClient.cs:Zeile 36. bei Docker.Actions.DoStart(SynchronizationContext syncCtx, Boolean showWelcomeWindow, Boolean executeAfterStartCleanup) in C:\\gopath\\src\\github.com\\docker\\pinata\\win\\src\\Docker.Windows\\Actions.cs:Zeile 67. bei Docker.Actions.<>c__DisplayClass14_0.b__0() in C:\\gopath\\src\\github.com\\docker\\pinata\\win\\src\\Docker.Windows\\Actions.cs:Zeile 51. bei Docker.WPF.TaskQueue.<>c__DisplayClass19_0.<.ctor>b__1() in C:\\gopath\\src\\github.com\\docker\\pinata\\win\\src\\Docker.WPF\\TaskQueue.cs:Zeile 59.

vSphere has 4 options for "CPU/MMU Virtualization" (translated by me):

• Automatic
• Use software virtualization for both
• Use Intel VT-x/AMD-V for CPU, and software for MMU virtualization
• Use Intel VT-x/AMD-V for CPU, and Intel EPT/AMD RVI for MMU virtualization

I have tried a fresh Docker installation with all 4, and restarting after changing the settings, and always get the same result.

Any ideas or advice?

Answer 1

To host linux containers Docker for Windows is using a Hyper-V virtual machine called "MobyLinuxVM" (similar to old Docker Toolbox, which was using Oracle VirtualBox machine). This is a VM with a linux debian installed.

In your Windows 10VM check Hyper-V Manager if you have this machine visible, and possibly try to create a new virtual machine, with some standard linux (ubuntu for example) and see if you can run it.

Update :

As discussed, this is issue with running any VM in the VM, not only docker. You may also check out: https://blog.docker.com/2017/09/docker-windows-server-1709/

Docker Linux containers on Windows is in preview, with ongoing joint development by Microsoft and Docker. Linux Containers is also available on Windows 10 version 1709 (“Creators Update 2”). To try it out, install the special Docker for Windows preview available here.

Mind that this requires Edge version of docker - in stable channel this feature is disabled.