# Invalid reference format - Mounting issue

**URL:** <https://forums.docker.com/t/invalid-reference-format-mounting-issue/150239>\
**Category:** Docker Desktop\
**Created:** [October 25, 2025, 4:57am UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/invalid-reference-format-mounting-issue/150239 "2025-10-25T04:57:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stevietnz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/docker/user_avatar/forums.docker.com/stevietnz/32/62111_2.png) [@stevietnz](https://forums.docker.com/u/stevietnz)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2025, 4:57am UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/invalid-reference-format-mounting-issue/150239/1 "2025-10-25T04:57:04Z")

</div>

I am trying to install IBM’s DOC.  
The code in generator.sh which I’m trying to run, after the two first steps on [this webpage](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/doc/4.4.0?topic=structure-calling-application-generator)), is [here](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/doc/4.4.0?topic=structure-preparing-application-generator-script).

The following is displayed:  
Mounting C:\Users\<directory continues\> as generation folder  
docker: invalid reference format

The directory does not have any spaces.

I saw a potential issue with $(pwd) where this should be expressed as “$(pwd)”. However, changing this (and then when this did not fix things, modify TARGET\_FOLDER=$(cmd //c cd) to TARGET\_FOLDER=“$(cmd //c cd)” ) results in the same message.

I am using Windows 11 Pro 25H2 and Docker Desktop v4.49.0.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![meyay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/docker/user_avatar/forums.docker.com/meyay/32/34000_2.png) [@meyay](https://forums.docker.com/u/meyay)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2025, 10:26am UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/invalid-reference-format-mounting-issue/150239/2 "2025-10-25T10:26:45Z")

</div>

Have you tried to run the script with `bash -x <scriptname>` debugging output?  
Please share the output, so we can see what’s going on.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rimelek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/docker/user_avatar/forums.docker.com/rimelek/32/41602_2.png) [@rimelek](https://forums.docker.com/u/rimelek)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2025, 8:19pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/invalid-reference-format-mounting-issue/150239/3 "2025-10-25T20:19:23Z")

</div>

I checked the script. I think the invalid reference is about the image tag. The only variable in the image tag is `$VERSION`. The version comes from the first argument unless `-v` or `--help` was passed instead.

If you try this command for example, you will get the same error message:

```auto
docker run --rm -v .:/app bash:

```

The image tag in this case ends with a colon and the version part is missing. So how do you call the script?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stevietnz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/docker/user_avatar/forums.docker.com/stevietnz/32/62111_2.png) [@stevietnz](https://forums.docker.com/u/stevietnz)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2025, 2:36am UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/invalid-reference-format-mounting-issue/150239/4 "2025-10-26T02:36:28Z")

</div>

Hello.

I have managed to rectify the issue I was facing (by using elevated Ubuntu cmd instead of Git Bash). The script was edited to omit -SNAPSHOT at the end of the version (4.4.0), which otherwise got pulled without issue.

I have encountered something else, though. I am getting:

EPERM: operation not permitted, copyfile ‘/tmp/projectname/dot-gitignore’ → ‘/tmp/projectname/.gitignore’

where projectname is the project name provided, when running ./generator.sh

Is it possible to receive assistance on this?

I also have Node.js (v25.0.0) installed.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/docker/original/3X/d/4/d4fbccd46c81bfcffe9822e20e17736d946fa821.png) [@system](https://forums.docker.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 25, 2025, 2:36am UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/invalid-reference-format-mounting-issue/150239/5 "2025-11-25T02:36:49Z")

</div>

Closed on November 25, 2025, 2:36am UTC

This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.