Docker cannot load after reboot


adm@ubuntu-host:/$ sudo systemctl restart docker
Job for docker.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See “systemctl status docker.service” and “journalctl -xe” for details.


adm@ubuntu-host:/$ sudo systemctl status docker
● docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/docker.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Fri 2025-09-26 13:14:01 CST; 4min 53s ago
TriggeredBy: ● docker.socket
Docs: https://docs.docker.com
Process: 12734 ExecStart=/usr/bin/dockerd -H fd:// --containerd=/run/containerd/containerd.sock (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
Main PID: 12734 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Sep 26 13:14:01 ubuntu-host systemd[1]: docker.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 3.
Sep 26 13:14:01 ubuntu-host systemd[1]: Stopped Docker Application Container Engine.
Sep 26 13:14:01 ubuntu-host systemd[1]: docker.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Sep 26 13:14:01 ubuntu-host systemd[1]: docker.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.
Sep 26 13:14:01 ubuntu-host systemd[1]: Failed to start Docker Application Container Engine.


adm@ubuntu-host:/$ sudo dockerd
INFO[2025-09-26T13:20:32.765113826-06:00] Starting up
INFO[2025-09-26T13:20:32.765831323-06:00] detected 127.0.0.53 nameserver, assuming systemd-resolved, so using resolv.conf: /run/systemd/resolve/resolv.conf
INFO[2025-09-26T13:20:32.780582175-06:00] [graphdriver] using prior storage driver: overlay2
INFO[2025-09-26T13:20:32.780827570-06:00] Loading containers: start.
INFO[2025-09-26T13:20:32.802337375-06:00] Firewalld: docker zone already exists, returning
WARN[2025-09-26T13:20:33.169157000-06:00] could not create bridge network for id 5f8dc2c1afa132403c3a5f9ea833d202de779dcbc1078a0618547f3d94d79ccd bridge name docker0 while booting up from persistent state: Failed to program NAT chain: ZONE_CONFLICT: ‘docker0’ already bound to a zone
INFO[2025-09-26T13:20:33.176623483-06:00] Default bridge (docker0) is assigned with an IP address 172.17.0.0/16. Daemon option --bip can be used to set a preferred IP address
INFO[2025-09-26T13:20:33.247586738-06:00] stopping event stream following graceful shutdown error=“” module=libcontainerd namespace=moby
failed to start daemon: Error initializing network controller: Error creating default “bridge” network: Failed to program NAT chain: ZONE_CONFLICT: ‘docker0’ already bound to a zone
INFO[2025-09-26T13:20:33.248314257-06:00] stopping event stream following graceful shutdown error=“context canceled” module=libcontainerd namespace=plugins.moby

Can you share the output of journalctl -xu docker.service for a cycle where the service is started and terminates again?

I am not sure if starting dockerd without providing the arguments that configure it in the systemd unit, gives you the same results as starting the systemd unit. At least it would explain why the existing config seems to be ignored.