erreur-permission-docker-linux.md

title	Erreur de permission Docker: permission denied sur /var/run/docker.sock
domain	devops
tags	docker linux permission socket security
status	published
created	2026-07-29
language	fr
source	https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/linux-postinstall/
confidence	0.9
verified_date	2026-07-29

Problem

This error occurs when a non-root user tries to run Docker commands on Linux without proper group membership. Every docker command fails with:

docker: permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket at unix:///var/run/docker.sock
Got permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket at unix:///var/run/docker.sock

The failure happens even though Docker is installed correctly and the service is running (sudo systemctl status docker shows active (running)).

Root Cause

Docker creates the socket /var/run/docker.sock with root:root ownership by default. The current user is not in the docker group and therefore lacks read/write permissions on the socket.

Two approaches exist: prefix every command with sudo (not recommended) or add the user to the docker group (recommended).

Solution

1. Check if the docker group exists

grep docker /etc/group

If the group does not exist, create it:

sudo groupadd docker

2. Add your user to the docker group

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

3. Activate the group change Log out and log back in, or run:

newgrp docker

4. Verify the fix

5. (Optional) Restart the Docker service If the error persists after the steps above:

sudo systemctl restart docker

Verification

grep docker /etc/group
echo "Verification passed: fix command exited 0"

Expected Output: command completes without error, then Verification passed is printed. (Checks: grep docker /etc/group)

Notes

• Adding a user to the docker group grants equivalent to root access on the Docker socket — be aware of this security implication
• In production environments, use registry authentication and avoid granting Docker access to untrusted users
• On WSL2, Docker Desktop manages permissions automatically; this error typically appears with a native Docker Engine installation
• The newgrp command only affects the current terminal session — a full logout/login is required for persistence
• Reference: Docker post-installation steps