docker/cli · error

failed to write public key to %s: %w

Error message

failed to write public key to %s: %w

What it means

Error "failed to write public key to %s: %w" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/trust/key_generate.go:129

		return pem.Block{}, err
	}

	pubKey := data.PublicKeyFromPrivate(privKey)
	return pem.Block{
		Type: "PUBLIC KEY",
		Headers: map[string]string{
			"role": keyName,
		},
		Bytes: pubKey.Public(),
	}, nil
}

func writePubKeyPEMToDir(pubPEM pem.Block, keyName, workingDir string) (string, error) {
	// Output the public key to a file in the CWD or specified dir
	pubFileName := strings.Join([]string{keyName, "pub"}, ".")
	pubFilePath := filepath.Join(workingDir, pubFileName)
	if err := os.WriteFile(pubFilePath, pem.EncodeToMemory(&pubPEM), notary.PrivNoExecPerms); err != nil {
		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to write public key to %s: %w", pubFilePath, err)
	}
	return pubFilePath, nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cmd/docker-trust/trust/key_generate.go:129 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/d3a6878b528eab76.json. Report an issue: GitHub.