How to Fix 'Permission Denied' on /var/run/docker.sock Without Sudo

✨ Quick Answer

The error permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket at unix:///var/run/docker.sock occurs when you attempt to run Docker commands without sudo and your current Linux user account does not belong to the group authorized to access the Docker UNIX socket.

The error permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket at unix:///var/run/docker.sock occurs when you attempt to run Docker commands without sudo and your current Linux user account does not belong to the group authorized to access the Docker UNIX socket.

Quick Diagnostics

Cause

Permission Denied when connecting to socket (unix:///var/run/docker.sock): Current Linux user is not a member of the docker system group

Solution

Add user to docker group with usermod and refresh session

Step-by-Step Solution

1. 1

   Step 1: Create the Docker Group and Add Your User

   Check if the docker group exists on your system and add your current user using usermod:

   BASH Copy

   # Create docker group if it doesn't already exist
   sudo groupadd docker
   
   # Add your active user ($USER) to the docker group
   sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
   

2. 2

   Step 2: Apply Group Membership Changes to Current Session

   For group changes to take effect immediately without rebooting or logging out entirely, execute:

   BASH Copy

   newgrp docker
   

   Alternatively, if connected via SSH or a desktop terminal, log out of your session and log back in.

3. 3

   Step 3: Verify /var/run/docker.sock Ownership and Test

   Ensure that /var/run/docker.sock is owned by the docker group:

   BASH Copy

   ls -l /var/run/docker.sock
   

   (Output should indicate ownership such as root:docker with srw-rw---- permissions).

   Test running a Docker container without sudo:

   BASH Copy

   docker run hello-world