Permissions to run docker container on self-hosted windows azure devops agent

Question

In an azure devops build pipeline running on a self-hosted windows agent, I am trying to execute a tool that run a docker container. Unfortunately I get this error:

Failed to start: failed to create container: Error response from daemon: CreateFile c:\Users\BUILDAGENT\.aerokube\selenoid: Access is denied.

The build agent is configured with its own windows local user "BUILDAGENT", so he has permissions on the C:\Users\BUILDAGENT\ folder

Looking at the process manager, I see that except com.docker.service, the others docker processes are running with the user that launched the Docker Desktop (my coworker). If I restart windows and relaunch docker myself, the settings selected by my coworker ("Disk Image Location" for instance), are not restored...

Is there a way to make docker run as a daemon on startup with a specific user (service or system user, but not mine or my coworker)? Once this is done I guess I just have to give permissions for that specific user on the C:\Users\BUILDAGENT\ folder to solve my issue, right?

Update:

I added my BUILDAGENT user in docker-users group, and it solves the permission issue, but I still would like to run docker as a service, instead of login as my local user to launch it with its GUI...

Answer 1

but I still would like to run docker as a service, instead of login as my local user to launch it with its GUI

You could try to create a task scheduler to run docker with that specific user when your PC starts.

Please check this thread How to create an automated task using Task Scheduler on Windows 10 for some more details.

In this case, docker will start automatically every time you start your computer.