docker/cli · error

failed to generate key for %s: %w

Error message

failed to generate key for %s: %w

What it means

Error "failed to generate key for %s: %w" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/trust/key_generate.go:91

	return validateAndGenerateKey(streams, opts.name, targetDir)
}

func validateAndGenerateKey(streams command.Streams, keyName string, workingDir string) error {
	freshPassRetGetter := func() notary.PassRetriever { return trust.GetPassphraseRetriever(streams.In(), streams.Out()) }
	if err := validateKeyArgs(keyName, workingDir); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(streams.Out(), "Generating key for %s...\n", keyName)
	// Automatically load the private key to local storage for use
	privKeyFileStore, err := trustmanager.NewKeyFileStore(trust.GetTrustDirectory(), freshPassRetGetter())
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	pubPEM, err := generateKeyAndOutputPubPEM(keyName, privKeyFileStore)
	if err != nil {
		_, _ = fmt.Fprint(streams.Out(), err)
		return fmt.Errorf("failed to generate key for %s: %w", keyName, err)
	}

	// Output the public key to a file in the CWD or specified dir
	writtenPubFile, err := writePubKeyPEMToDir(pubPEM, keyName, workingDir)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	_, _ = fmt.Fprintln(streams.Out(), "Successfully generated and loaded private key. Corresponding public key available:", writtenPubFile)

	return nil
}

func generateKeyAndOutputPubPEM(keyName string, privKeyStore trustmanager.KeyStore) (pem.Block, error) {
	privKey, err := tufutils.GenerateKey(data.ECDSAKey)
	if err != nil {
		return pem.Block{}, err
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/trust/key_generate.go:91 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of docker/cli@e9452d6e78 (2026-08-01). Data as JSON: /data/errors/abf9953f7902b37f.json. Report an issue: GitHub.