Where Them
Logs AppWTLA-01

Docker Desktop

6 log locations · Windows, macOS

Docker Inc.

Where Docker Desktop keeps its logs

Docker Desktop logs to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Docker\log\host\ on Windows. 3 other Windows log locations are recorded below, including paths for Before 4.30. These paths were verified for exe and msi installs - a different installer, or a portable copy, can put them somewhere else.

Docker Desktop logs to ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/log/host/ on macOS. 1 other macOS log location is recorded below. These paths were verified for dmg and pkg installs - a different installer, or a portable copy, can put them somewhere else.

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

Docker Inc.
app and lifecycle%LOCALAPPDATA%\Docker\log\host\
VM system logs (init.log, dockerd.log)%LOCALAPPDATA%\Docker\log\vm\
backend service%PROGRAMDATA%\DockerDesktop\service.txt
exemsiper-user
Wrong path? Add a variant
WIN

Docker Desktop

Before 4.30Docker Inc.
container logs, WSL2 backend\\wsl.localhost\docker-desktop-data\data\docker\containers\<container-id>\<container-id>-json.log- Fresh installs of 4.30 and later no longer create the docker-desktop-data distribution; only older or upgraded installs have this path
exe
Wrong path? Add a variant
MAC

Docker Desktop

Docker Inc.
app and lifecycle~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/log/host/
VM system logs~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/log/vm/
dmgpkgper-user
Wrong path? Add a variant

How to turn on debug logging for Docker Desktop

  1. Open Settings > Docker Engine.
  2. Add "debug": true to the daemon configuration (stored in $HOME/.docker/daemon.json).
  3. Apply the change and restart Docker Desktop.

How to collect Docker Desktop logs

  1. Choose Troubleshoot > Get support to upload diagnostics, and note the Diagnostic ID it returns.
  2. Or run docker desktop diagnose (4.60.0 and later).
  3. Windows: If Docker Desktop will not start, run C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources\com.docker.diagnose.exe gather -upload (all-users install).
  4. Windows: For a per-user install, run %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\DockerDesktop\resources\com.docker.diagnose.exe gather -upload.
  5. macOS: If Docker Desktop will not start, run /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/com.docker.diagnose gather -upload.
  6. Linux: If Docker Desktop will not start, run /opt/docker-desktop/bin/com.docker.diagnose gather -upload.