docker/cli · error

failed to sign %s:%s: %w

Error message

failed to sign %s:%s: %w

What it means

Error "failed to sign %s:%s: %w" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/internal/trust/trust_push.go:144

		// Initialize the notary repository with a remotely managed snapshot key
		if err := repo.Initialize([]string{rootKeyID}, data.CanonicalSnapshotRole); err != nil {
			return NotaryError(repoInfo.Name.Name(), err)
		}
		_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(ioStreams.Out(), "Finished initializing %q\n", repoInfo.Name.Name())
		err = repo.AddTarget(notaryTarget, data.CanonicalTargetsRole)
	case nil:
		// already initialized and we have successfully downloaded the latest metadata
		err = AddToAllSignableRoles(repo, notaryTarget)
	default:
		return NotaryError(repoInfo.Name.Name(), err)
	}

	if err == nil {
		err = repo.Publish()
	}

	if err != nil {
		err = fmt.Errorf("failed to sign %s:%s: %w", repoInfo.Name.Name(), tag, err)
		return NotaryError(repoInfo.Name.Name(), err)
	}

	_, _ = fmt.Fprintf(ioStreams.Out(), "Successfully signed %s:%s\n", repoInfo.Name.Name(), tag)
	return nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/internal/trust/trust_push.go:144 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/5843c5b5e4c018e6.json. Report an issue: GitHub.