Docker Desktop

5 log locations · Windows, macOS

On macOS container logs live inside the VM. Use docker logs. The source's screen ~/.../vms/0/tty trick is from old Docker Desktop builds and does not work on current ones.
The docker-desktop-data WSL distro is gone in newer Docker Desktop releases, so that path may not exist.

Where Docker Desktop keeps its logs

Docker Desktop logs to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Docker\log.txt on Windows. 2 other Windows log locations are recorded below.

Docker Desktop logs to ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/log/host/ on macOS. 1 other macOS log location is recorded below.

Paths are printed exactly as Docker Desktop writes them. Environment variables like %LOCALAPPDATA% and $XDG_STATE_HOME are never expanded, so a path can be pasted straight into a shell. Where a path differs between installer types or shipping flavours, each one is racked as its own card below - why that happens.

Finding your way around Windows and macOS.

WIN

Docker Desktop - Windows

Docker Inc.

app/crash log%LOCALAPPDATA%\Docker\log.txt

backend service%PROGRAMDATA%\DockerDesktop\service.txt

container logs, WSL2 backend\\wsl.localhost\docker-desktop-data\data\docker\containers\<container-id>\<container-id>-json.log

Wrong path? Add a variant

MAC

Docker Desktop - macOS

Docker Inc.

app and lifecycle~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/log/host/

VM system logs~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/log/vm/

Wrong path? Add a variant