Error: "error creating aufs mount to" when building dockerfile

Question

I get this error when I try to build a docker file

 error creating aufs mount to /var/lib/docker/aufs/mnt   
 /6c1b42ce1a98b1c0f2d2a7f17c196221445f1054566065d4c607e4f1b99930eb-init:   
 invalid argument

What does it mean? How do I fix it?

Answer 1

In windows after a restart, docker machine problem is solved for me.

Use these commands:

docker-machine stop
docker-machine start
docker-compose up

Answer 2

I'm using Raspbian with Raspberry 4

Best way to do it..

Check your docker version with: sudo docker info and check "Storage Driver"

1. sudo systemctl stop docker
2. sudo nano /etc/docker/daemon.json
3. write this code below and save it

{
    "storage-driver": "vfs"
}

4. sudo systemctl start docker

altought vfs... has a performance issue and could not be the best choice... :)

Answer 3

I am running a container inside another container(also installed docker in that container) and is trying to create an aufs storage on top of an overlayfs mount, which is not possible. So, I also change the host overlyfs storage to aufs. It's solve my issue. To check storage driver use below command.
docker info

The solution was simply using different driver. I've used aufs in /etc/docker/daemon.json

Here it is

{
    "storage-driver": "aufs"
}

For detailed explanation read below documentation. Docker storage documentation

Answer 4

I had some unresolved errors after removing /var/lib/docker/aufs, which a couple extra steps cleared up.

To add to @benwalther answer, since I lack the reputation to comment:

# Cleaning up through docker avoids these errors
#   ERROR: Service 'master' failed to build:
#     open /var/lib/docker/aufs/layers/<container_id>: no such file or directory
#   ERROR: Service 'master' failed to build: failed to register layer:
#     open /var/lib/docker/aufs/layers/<container_id>: no such file or directory
docker rm -f $(docker ps -a -q)
docker rmi -f $(docker images -a -q)

# As per @BenWalther's answer above
sudo service docker stop
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker/aufs

# Removing the linkgraph.db fixed this error:
#   Conflict. The name "/jenkins_data_1" is already in use by container <container_id>.
#   You have to remove (or rename) that container to be able to reuse that name.
sudo rm -f /var/lib/docker/linkgraph.db


sudo service docker start

Answer 5

I just had a similar issue on Lubuntu (Ubuntu 4.15.0-20-generic) with Docker CE 18.03. None of the described options helped.

It appears that latest docker versions use the overlay2 storage driver. However some applications require aufs. Thus a possible fix might be to simply use this docker guide to change the storage driver to aufs (simply replace "overlay2" with "aufs") as in this guide.

Answer 6

I put this answer also here, as the google search lead me here since the @whitebrow's answer contains what term I searched for in google ERROR: Service '***' failed to build: error creating overlay mount to /var/lib/docker/overlay2/***/merged: no such file or directory

In my case, the working workaround surprisingly was to restrict the number of 'RUN' docker building commands/layers, since if the number surpassed 60 layers/commands, it always ended up with that missing 'merged' folder error, no matter what was the contents of the command, even simple command such as RUN ls -la ended up with that error, if the total number of such/any commands was higher than about 60, strange. Merged subfolder was always missing, though even when I automatically generated all the merged subfolders, always was created on the fly a new layer with a new hash, which was missing that subfolder.

Answer 7

AUFS is unable to mount the docker container filesystem.

This is either because: the path is already mounted - or - there's a race condition in docker's interaction with AUFS, due to the large amount of existing volumes.

To solve this, try the following:

1. restart the docker service or daemon and try again.

2. check mount for aufs mounted on any paths under /var/lib/docker/aufs/. If found, stop docker, then umount them (need sudo).

   example:

mount

none on /var/lib/docker/aufs/mnt/55639da9aa959e88765899ac9dc200ccdf363b2f09ea933370cf4f96051b22b9 type aufs (rw,relatime,si=5abf628bd5735419,dio,dirperm1)

then sudo umount /var/lib/docker/aufs/mnt/55639da9aa959e88765899ac9dc200ccdf363b2f09ea933370cf4f96051b22b9

3. If that doesn't work, stop docker, then sudo rm -rf /var/lib/docker/aufs. You will lose any existing stopped containers and all images. But this is just about guaranteed to solve the problem.

Answer 8

I faced the same issue.I resolved it by adding the storage driver to /etc/docker/daemon.json

you can refer this link as well to see other driver options. Visit https://docs.docker.com/storage/storagedriver/select-storage-driver/

Answer 9

A similar issue arose while I was using Docker in Windows:

ERROR: Service 'daemon' failed to build: error creating overlay mount
to /var/lib/docker/overlay2/83c98f716020954420e8b89e6074b1af6
1b2b86cd51ac6a54724ed263b3663a2-init/merged: no such file or directory

The problem occurred after having removed a volume from the image's Dockerfile, rebuilding the image and then rebooting the PC. Maybe this is a common cause?

I managed to solve the problem by clicking Docker -> Settings -> Reset -> Reset to factory defaults...

All my images were subsequently lost but that didn't matter for me. I also figured that removing the VM disk image (the path to which can be found under the Advanced tab in Settings) could solve the issue. I haven't tried this approach however.

Answer 10

Unfortunately on my system I could not resolve this with the above answers. The docker administration kept remembering a certain file in the aufs layer that it couldn't reach anymore. Other solutions didn't work either. So if this is an option for you, you could try the following fix: uninstall/purge docker and docker-engine:

apt-get purge docker docker-engine

Then make sure everything from /var/lib/docker is removed.

rm -rf /var/lib/docker

After that install docker again.

Answer 11

I have removed /var/lib/docker/aufs/diff and got the same problem:

error creating aufs mount to /var/lib/docker/aufs/mnt/blah-blah-init: invalid argument

It solved by running the following commands:

docker stop $(docker ps -a -q);
docker rm $(docker ps -a -q);
docker rmi -f $(docker images -a -q)

Answer 12

If you try to use docker inside a persistent enable Live CD, you may encounter this error. I guess, it is due to the fact that you can't mount aufs inside overlayfs mounts, which is the persistent layer.

The solution was simply using different driver. I've used vfs in /etc/docker/daemon.json

Here it is

{
    "storage-driver": "vfs"
}