Arch Linux

benopotamus

Member

Registered: 2015-03-01

Posts: 8

[SOLVED] Docker not starting - can't initialize iptables table `nat'

After installing Docker, I found it wasn't starting. I checked the status

systemctl status docker.service
● docker.service - Docker Application Container Engine
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/docker.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled)
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Fri 2020-04-17 12:55:51 AEST; 9s ago
TriggeredBy: ● docker.socket
       Docs: https://docs.docker.com
    Process: 1796554 ExecStart=/usr/bin/dockerd -H fd:// (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
   Main PID: 1796554 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

I checked the journal for more details

journalctl -eu docker
...
DOCKER: iptables v1.8.4 (legacy): can't initialize iptables table `nat': Table does not exist

After restarting Arch, the docker service was working (I also enabled it with systemd)

systemctl enable docker.service
shutdown -r now

P.S I would add this to the Arch Wiki Docker entry but I'm pretty sure "restart the computer" wouldn't go over well :-P

Last edited by benopotamus (2020-04-17 03:27:31)

V1del

Forum Moderator

Registered: 2012-10-16

Posts: 24,786

Re: [SOLVED] Docker not starting - can't initialize iptables table `nat'

You should also not post presolved topics. FWIW what I'd rather assume to be the case here is that you had updated the kernel. when that happens all modules of the running kernel are removed, if you try to use anything that needs a not yet loaded kernel module that will fail until you reboot into the new kernel.

benopotamus

Member

Registered: 2015-03-01

Posts: 8

Re: [SOLVED] Docker not starting - can't initialize iptables table `nat'

Okey dokey - can do. Is there a preferred place to put this kind of presolved problem information? (to help others who may also have the same problem)