Cannot install docker-engine on Ubuntu LTS 16.04 minimal in LX branded zone on OmniOS

Question

I followed the guide on the Docker site to install the docker-engine on my VPS which is running in a LX branded zone on OmniOS. Unfortunately, I got an error during the installation which is probably due to the custom kernel of the host.

The output from the installation process was:

Job for docker.service failed because the control process exited with error code. See "systemctl status docker.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details.
invoke-rc.d: initscript docker, action "start" failed.
dpkg: error processing package docker-engine (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-19) ...
Processing triggers for systemd (229-4ubuntu4) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 docker-engine
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Running the suggested systemctl command returns this:

● docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/docker.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Wed 2017-01-04 21:03:38 UTC; 7min ago
     Docs: https://docs.docker.com
 Main PID: 27548 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Finally uname returns the following string:

Linux christian 4.4.0 BrandZ virtual linux x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Is it possible to find out whether I am having issues due to the kernel or something else?

---

EDIT A call to apt-cache policy docker-engine returns the following output:

docker-engine:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1.12.5-0~ubuntu-xenial
  Version table:
     1.12.5-0~ubuntu-xenial 500
        500 https://apt.dockerproject.org/repo ubuntu-xenial/main amd64 Packages
     1.12.4-0~ubuntu-xenial 500
        500 https://apt.dockerproject.org/repo ubuntu-xenial/main amd64 Packages
     1.12.3-0~xenial 500
        500 https://apt.dockerproject.org/repo ubuntu-xenial/main amd64 Packages
     1.12.2-0~xenial 500
        500 https://apt.dockerproject.org/repo ubuntu-xenial/main amd64 Packages
     1.12.1-0~xenial 500
        500 https://apt.dockerproject.org/repo ubuntu-xenial/main amd64 Packages
     1.12.0-0~xenial 500
        500 https://apt.dockerproject.org/repo ubuntu-xenial/main amd64 Packages
     1.11.2-0~xenial 500
        500 https://apt.dockerproject.org/repo ubuntu-xenial/main amd64 Packages
     1.11.1-0~xenial 500
        500 https://apt.dockerproject.org/repo ubuntu-xenial/main amd64 Packages
     1.11.0-0~xenial 500
        500 https://apt.dockerproject.org/repo ubuntu-xenial/main amd64 Packages

Solution

It probably happens because you upgraded Ubuntu from upstart to systemctl (when you did upgrade to 16.04). And you had already installed docker in upstart

Removing docker from upstart will resolved issue for me:

sudo rm /etc/init.d/docker
sudo rm /etc/rc*/*docker

After run install again:

sudo apt-get install docker-engine

And check if docker service starts.

sudo systemctl start docker
systemctl status docker.service

Comments

[Kostanos]

I got the same error, it is because the docker-engine from repo is using upstart instead of systemctl. Did you able to resolve it with apt?

[Kostanos]

can you add result from apt-cache policy docker-engine

[Christian Ivicevic]

@Kostanos Please refer to the update

[Kostanos]

I have 1.12.6-0~ubuntu-xenial 500. Can you also add full output from: systemctl status docker.service yours is not complete.

[Christian Ivicevic]

@Kostanos It is actually.

[Kostanos]

this is strange, usually some logs comes after, example: Oct 15 14:03:52 vrouter01 systemd[1]: Starting Docker Application Container Engine... Oct 15 14:05:23 vrouter01 systemd[1]: docker.service start operation timed out. Terminating. Oct 15 14:05:23 vrouter01 systemd[1]: docker.service: main process exited, code=exited, status=2/INVALIDARGUMENT Oct 15 14:05:23 vrouter01 systemd[1]: Failed to start Docker Application Container Engine. Oct 15 14:05:23 vrouter01 systemd[1]: Unit docker.service entered failed state. Oct 15 14:05:23 vrouter01 systemd[1]: docker.service failed.

[Kostanos]

sorry man, I have different version of Ubuntu, my solution worked for me. I don't have more ideas

[Christian Ivicevic]

Actually the Ubuntu I am running is a small fresh image hence I did not have Docker installed before that and I guess there is another reason why I am struggling.

[Kostanos]

try the solution anyway. invoke-rc.d is a part of upstart. Fresh image where did you get it from? it may had pre-installed upstart files for docker

[Christian Ivicevic]

I was looking through the files in the folders you suggested, there are no Docker files in there. Or do you suggest to do this after a first error running sudo apt-get install docker-engine?

[Kostanos]

can you add apt-cache policy docker-engine result on your question?