In-app update does not update to the latest version

[jhassine]

Description

I have a Mac with Docker 4.37.0 running. I went to check for updates inside the Docker Desktop and update to the latest 4.37.1 version. After the 4.37.1 installation stops Docker Desktop closes and does not open again on it's own. Then opening manually Docker Desktop again, and the version remains the old 4.37.0 so the update failed. Can repeat this update cycle many times and the version always stays the old.

The update issue has been there for long time already (as long as I remember) and I first time reported the issue here: #6920 (comment)

The 4.37.0 update was supposed to fix some of the installation issues but at least for my case it did not.

I had some theories what might be the issue(s):

First, I was thinking if there is some issue (caching/cache invalidation issue maybe?) on the website where Docker Desktop fetches those the updated dmg files. I was thinking this because I had to manually check for updates before they come to visible even thou I have the Automatically check for updates option enabled in the settings.

Secondly, I suspected the issue might be that I have a bit atypical setup, having a non-admin account on my Mac and trying the update it using that account. Some security frameworks e.g. CyberEssentials and policies recommend having a separate admin user and day to day user accounts for computers. Docker Desktop seems to be the only app on my computer which has update issues, all other apps update correctly even with this setup.

In order to test these theories, what I did was I promoted my standard user as admin user and run the Docker Desktop in-app update at it succeeded as the version was updated correctly. However, something strange happened here, the Docker Desktop icon was duplicated in the macOS task bar: not sure if the issue is similar that is reported in here: #7497 .

The workaround to get updated for me:

1. Promote the standard user to admin user on mac. Restart mac as it requires it after the promotion. Update the Docker Desktop using the in-app update. Remove the admin rights, and restart the mac as it requires. This seems pretty heavy way.
2. Uninstall the old Docker Desktop app completely. Then download manually the newest version from the Docker website and install it.
   These are not very quick ways especially if there are some critical patches that needs to get updated.

Reproduce

1. On Mac, have a "standard" (non-administrator) user account ,

2. Be logged in with that "standard" user on Mac.

3. Have Docker Desktop 4.37.0 installed (https://desktop.docker.com/mac/main/amd64/178034/Docker.dmg)

4. In Docker Desktop click Check for updates

5. When the screen shows an update for 4.37.1 click Download update

6. Wait download to complete

7. Click Update and restart

8. Wait the install to complete

9. When Docker Desktop closes, open it again.

10. Again, click the check if the version is updated to 4.37.1. The version is still at 4.37.0: .

Expected behavior

Issue 1: The latest version (4.37.1 in this case) should show automatically, even without clicking the Check for updates button as the Automatically check for updates option is enabled.
Issue 2: Docker Desktop should automatically restart after the update (but it does not, and in order to open the Docker Desktop, have to do it manually)
Issue 3: When Docker Desktop is restarted, it should be at the latest version (version 4.37.1 in this case).

docker version

Client:
 Version:           27.4.0
 API version:       1.47
 Go version:        go1.22.10
 Git commit:        bde2b89
 Built:             Sat Dec  7 10:35:43 2024
 OS/Arch:           darwin/amd64
 Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.37.0 (178034)
 Engine:
  Version:          27.4.0
  API version:      1.47 (minimum version 1.24)
  Go version:       go1.22.10
  Git commit:       92a8393
  Built:            Sat Dec  7 10:38:57 2024
  OS/Arch:          linux/amd64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          1.7.21
  GitCommit:        472731909fa34bd7bc9c087e4c27943f9835f111
 runc:
  Version:          1.1.13
  GitCommit:        v1.1.13-0-g58aa920
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

docker info

docker info
Client:
 Version:    27.4.0
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Ask Gordon - Docker Agent (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.5.1
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-ai
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.19.2-desktop.1
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.31.0-desktop.2
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.37
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Beta) (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.0
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-desktop
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.2
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-dev
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.27
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  feedback: Provide feedback, right in your terminal! (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.5
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-feedback
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.15.1
    Path:     /Users/jukkahassinen/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
 Containers: 10
  Running: 0
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 10
 Images: 15
 Server Version: 27.4.0
 Storage Driver: overlayfs
  driver-type: io.containerd.snapshotter.v1
 Logging Driver: json-file
 Cgroup Driver: cgroupfs
 Cgroup Version: 2
 Plugins:
  Volume: local
  Network: bridge host ipvlan macvlan null overlay
  Log: awslogs fluentd gcplogs gelf journald json-file local splunk syslog
 CDI spec directories:
  /etc/cdi
  /var/run/cdi
 Swarm: inactive
 Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 runc
 Default Runtime: runc
 Init Binary: docker-init
 containerd version: 472731909fa34bd7bc9c087e4c27943f9835f111
 runc version: v1.1.13-0-g58aa920
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  seccomp
   Profile: unconfined
  cgroupns
 Kernel Version: 6.10.14-linuxkit
 Operating System: Docker Desktop
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: x86_64
 CPUs: 9
 Total Memory: 12.17GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: 93d9791d-27aa-478d-84fb-43c3be459636
 Docker Root Dir: /var/lib/docker
 Debug Mode: false
 HTTP Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 HTTPS Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 No Proxy: hubproxy.docker.internal
 Labels:
  com.docker.desktop.address=unix:///Users/jukkahassinen/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/docker-cli.sock
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false

WARNING: daemon is not using the default seccomp profile

Diagnostics ID

7BBF53C3-EE5C-4F2D-B0A3-B50019A2D92A/20241219105808

Additional Info

macOS Sequoia 15.2 (24C101) on Intel chip

[Sketchy2001]

Have a similar issue with macOS Sonoma on Apple Silicon. Cannot upgrade beyond 1.36.0 as that is the latest version available to download.

Attempting to upgrade stops when the app 'restarts'. At this point I am left with Docker.app.back.app that can be renamed back to Docker.app (via CLI) to restore functionality as v1.36.0.

Non-standard setup...

• Install via non-admin
• Have app stored outside Applications folder to avoid need to enter admin creds every (frequent) update
• App stored on removable media

Docker.app given Full Disk Access.
Installer never asks for credentials to elevate privileges.

This behaviour has been going on for many versions!

[stevenanthonyrevo]

The update worked for M1 and has notification after restart in sidebar.

The updated version appears to be working as expected.

[kszafran]

Similar issue here (Sequoia 15.2 on M3). Docker for Mac downloads the update, but after restarting it doesn't open up. And when I relaunch it, it's still on 4.37.0

[jhassine]

The update worked for M1 and has notification after restart in sidebar.

The updated version appears to be working as expected.

@stevenanthonyrevo did you test that with a non-admin user on your M1?

[stevenanthonyrevo]

@jhassine I'm not sure if my docker desktop is set to non-admin or admin user. However, yes after restart the docker desktop is working same as before on M1 Macos verison 13.6.9.

[jussiniinikoski]

@jhassine I had the same problem and noticed in Activity Monitor that process named com.docker.backend was stuck when Docker wasn't open and I killed it. Updating Docker Desktop worked fine after that.

[jaylane]

I am having the same issue as well

[phantom943]

@jhassine I had the same problem and noticed in Activity Monitor that process named com.docker.backend was stuck when Docker wasn't open and I killed it. Updating Docker Desktop worked fine after that.

Thanks. That was the culprit for me. Fixed it the same way.

[xuanswe]

Same issue. I cannot update from 4.36.0 to 4.37.1.

[asafratzon]

Same here. Can't update from 4.18.0 (104112) to 4.37.1 on a Macbook M1 Pro.
Tried what @jussiniinikoski suggested (killing com.docker.backend) but it didn't help me.

Downloading the update seem to take forever (over 30 minutes sometimes), it's shame there isn't any progress indication..
Anyways once download is complete and I initiate the update it's stuck on "Installing update" for hours.
Restarting docker then resets the whole process and require downloading the update again.

I guess I'll just uninstall Docker from my machine and install the latest version from scratch.

[rkobylinski]

Update from 4.36.0 to 4.37.1 on my M2 Ultra kept failing, too. It looks like Docker does not like being installed on an external hard drive, will download the update, rename the app to Docker.app.bak.app (the name will get longer on each update attempt :D) but otherwise fail to restart and replace the app. Uninstalling Docker (Troubleshoot > Uninstall) and re-installing in /Applications fixed the issue. This is a pity given the size of the app.