Docker on ArchWSL

Written by Rico Sta. Cruz
(@rstacruz) · 2 Apr 2021

Problem: Running Docker on ArchWSL doesn’t work by default. ArchWSL doesn’t allow systemd services.

docker info
# ERROR: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon
# at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is
# the docker daemon running?

sudo systemctl start docker
# System has not been booted with systemd as init
# system (PID 1). Can't operate.
# Failed to connect to bus: Host is down

Solution: genie-systemd

Update (June 2022): wsl-distrod is a better alternative to genie.

genie-systemd can be used to run systemd services like Docker. Note that Docker itself requires WSL2.

# Download genie-systemd from this page
open https://github.com/arkane-systems/genie/releases

# Install it
pacman -U genie-systemd*.pkg.tar.zst

# Run systemctl via genie
sudo genie -c systemctl start docker

# It should work now 🎉
docker info
# Containers: 1
# Server Version: 19.03.11-ce
# Storage driver: overlay2
# ...

Genie, or genie-systemd, is a workaround to run systemd services in WSL2. It can be installed by downloading the .tar.zst package from the project’s GitHub releases page.

arkane-systems/genie - A systemd bottle for WSL (github.com)

Alternatives

Genie only works on WSL2. Not running WSL2? Here’s a guide on converting an WSL1 installation to WSL2.

I’ve found that genie works the best for my case. However, there are also other ways to get Docker and systemd working:

• ArchWSL2 is a fork of ArchWSL with support for systemd.
• The ArchWSL wiki has some resources in its Known issues page.
• systemctl-alt is an alternate fork of systemd which will work with WSL1 and WSL2.

Written by Rico Sta. Cruz

I am a web developer helping make the world a better place through JavaScript, Ruby, and UI design. I write articles like these often. If you'd like to stay in touch, subscribe to my list.