What causes "Failed to install Docker model ${targetModel}: ${errorMessage}" in continuedev/continue?

Run the failing command manually (e.g. docker model install ) and read the stderr in the message

continuedev/continue · error · Error

Failed to install Docker model ${targetModel}: ${errorMessag

Error message

Failed to install Docker model ${targetModel}: ${errorMessage}

What it means

Thrown by Docker.installModel when the underlying `docker model install/pull` CLI command fails; the command's stderr is embedded via errorMessage. The static modelsBeingInstalled entry is cleaned up in finally, so the same install can be retried afterwards.

Source

Thrown at core/llm/llms/Docker.ts:204

      const { stdout, stderr } = await this.executeDockerCommand(
        ["model", "pull", targetModel],
        signal,
      );

      // Report completion
      progressReporter?.(
        `Docker model ${targetModel} installed successfully`,
        100,
        100,
      );

      return { success: true, stdout, stderr };
    } catch (error) {
      console.error(`Failed to install Docker model ${targetModel}:`, error);
      // Fix: Type check the error before accessing message property
      const errorMessage =
        error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
      throw new Error(
        `Failed to install Docker model ${targetModel}: ${errorMessage}`,
      );
    } finally {
      const release = await Docker.modelsBeingInstalledMutex.acquire();
      try {
        Docker.modelsBeingInstalled.delete(modelName);
      } finally {
        release();
      }
    }
  }

  public async isInstallingModel(modelName: string): Promise<boolean> {
    const release = await Docker.modelsBeingInstalledMutex.acquire();
    try {
      return Docker.modelsBeingInstalled.has(modelName);
    } finally {
      release();

View on GitHub (pinned to 5522c6f44c)

Solutions

Run the failing command manually (e.g. docker model install <name>) and read the stderr in the message
Ensure the Docker daemon is running and the user has socket permissions (docker ps works)
Upgrade to a Docker Desktop/engine version that supports the model CLI command
Free disk space / fix registry auth / proxy config as indicated by the embedded stderr

Defensive patterns

Strategy: fallback

Validate before calling

const { stdout } = await exec('docker model ls').catch(() => ({ stdout: '' }));
const installed = stdout.split('\n').some(l => l.includes(modelName));
if (!installed) await docker.installModel(modelName);

Type guard

function isDockerInstallError(e: unknown): boolean {
  return e instanceof Error && e.message.startsWith('Failed to install Docker model');
}

Try / catch

try { await docker.installModel(model); }
catch (e) {
  if (isDockerInstallError(e)) {
    logger.error(e.message); // includes docker stderr
    return fallbackEmbedder.embed(text); // offline fallback
  }
  throw e;
}

Prevention

Run `docker ps` and `docker model ls` health checks before installing
Keep Docker Desktop/engine updated
Maintain a fallback local embedding provider

When it happens

Trigger: Docker daemon not running or unreachable, docker CLI missing from PATH, insufficient disk space, image/model not found in the registry, auth required to pull, or Docker Desktop version lacking the `docker model` subcommand.

Common situations: CI containers without a mounted Docker socket, old Docker Desktop without model support, corporate proxies blocking registry pulls, or out-of-disk build agents.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of continuedev/continue@5522c6f44c (2026-08-27). Data as JSON: /api/errors/39121c1d90a78129. Report an issue: GitHub.