Docker Desktop blocks WSL instances from starting

Docker Desktop
,
1

Docker Desktop 4.42.0 (195023) on Windows 11 with the latest WSL. The OS running in WSL is Ubuntu 24.04.

Docker Desktop is configured to use the WSL 2 engine. It enters Resource Saver after 5 minutes.

When Docker Desktop is in Resource Saver mode, if I start a WSL instance, I do not get the prompt. All I see is a blank terminal. I have to click Docker Desktop to bring it out of Resource Saver, and then I will get a prompt in WSL.

Seems like something in DD is blocking WSL while it’s asleep.

2

Which prompt do you mean? Are you trying to use the docker command in your WSL distro which doesn’t respond, or do you mean you can’t start a shell in a container?

3

Sorry, I meant the Bash prompt. The WSL window is just sitting there, completely empty, until I wake DD. And then I get the Linux shell prompt.

I just want to use WSL for some other purpose, unrelated to Docker, and I have to wake up DD every time to let me use it.

I had WSL installed a long time ago, I’m using it regularly. I’ve installed DD recently. Then I noticed this issue. WSL is not heavily customized - other than a more recent Python from Deadsnakes it does not have a lot of extra apps installed.

I normally run the docker CLI command in the Command Prompt, not in WSL. No particular reason, I’m just used to doing it this way.

Let me know if you need more info, I can dig into WSL and get that for you.

EDIT: To make it clear, I have a shortcut on the task bar for starting WSL directly. I just copied there a shortcut I found somewhere in the Start Menu.

4

There was a fix in 4.42.1 which might be related to your issue

https://docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes/#4421

For Windows

  • Disabled the Resource Saver mode in WSL 2 to prevent docker CLI commands hanging in WSL 2 distros. docker/for-win#14656

Although you wrote WSL distros could not start, but Docker Desktop has its own distribution too so it could be related.