Diagnose container failures, networking issues, permissions, and port conflicts
View on GitHubFebruary 1, 2026
Select agents to install to:
npx add-skill https://github.com/mwguerra/claude-code-plugins/blob/main/docker-specialist/skills/docker-troubleshoot/SKILL.md -a claude-code --skill docker-troubleshootInstallation paths:
.claude/skills/docker-troubleshoot/# Docker Troubleshooting Skill
## Overview
This skill helps diagnose and resolve common Docker issues:
- Container startup failures
- Networking problems
- Permission errors
- Port conflicts
- Data persistence issues
- Health check failures
## Process
### 1. Consult Documentation
Read relevant documentation:
- `17-troubleshooting.md` for common issues
- `15-port-conflicts.md` for port problems
- `16-restart-strategies.md` for restart issues
### 2. Diagnose Issue
Gather information:
```bash
# Check container status
docker compose ps -a
# View logs
docker compose logs servicename
# Check configuration
docker compose config
# Inspect container
docker inspect containername
```
### 3. Apply Solution
## Common Issues and Solutions
### Container Won't Start
**Diagnosis:**
```bash
docker compose logs servicename
docker inspect --format='{{.State.ExitCode}}' containername
```
**Solutions:**
- Check logs for error messages
- Verify configuration syntax
- Check dependencies are running
- Verify image exists
### Port Already in Use
**Diagnosis:**
```bash
lsof -i :3000
# or
netstat -tulpn | grep 3000
```
**Solutions:**
```bash
# Kill process
kill $(lsof -t -i:3000)
# Or change port in compose
ports:
- "3001:3000"
```
### Permission Denied
**Diagnosis:**
```bash
docker compose exec app ls -la /app/data
```
**Solutions:**
```yaml
# Fix in compose
services:
app:
user: "1000:1000"
# Or fix in container
docker compose exec -u root app chown -R appuser:appgroup /app/data
```
### Data Disappearing
**Diagnosis:**
```bash
docker volume ls
docker compose config | grep -A5 "volumes:"
```
**Solutions:**
```yaml
# Use named volumes instead of anonymous
volumes:
- postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data # Named (persists)
# NOT: - /var/lib/postgresql/data # Anonymous (deleted)
```
### Container Can't Reach Other Container
**Diagnosis:**
```bash
docker network inspect networkname
docker compose exec app ping db
docker compose exec app nslookup db
```
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