docker/cli · error

invalid user: %w

Error message

invalid user: %w

What it means

Error "invalid user: %w" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cli/connhelper/ssh/ssh.go:112

	if err != nil {
		return nil
	}
	if remoteCommand != "" {
		sshArgs = append(sshArgs, remoteCommand)
	}
	return sshArgs
}

func (sp *Spec) args(sshFlags ...string) ([]string, error) {
	var args []string
	if sp.Host == "" {
		return nil, errors.New("no host specified")
	}
	if sp.User != "" {
		// Quote user, as it's obtained from the URL.
		usr, err := syntax.Quote(sp.User, syntax.LangPOSIX)
		if err != nil {
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid user: %w", err)
		}
		args = append(args, "-l", usr)
	}
	if sp.Port != "" {
		// Quote port, as it's obtained from the URL.
		port, err := syntax.Quote(sp.Port, syntax.LangPOSIX)
		if err != nil {
			return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid port: %w", err)
		}
		args = append(args, "-p", port)
	}

	// We consider "sshFlags" to be "trusted", and set from code only,
	// as they are not parsed from the DOCKER_HOST URL.
	args = append(args, sshFlags...)

	host, err := syntax.Quote(sp.Host, syntax.LangPOSIX)
	if err != nil {

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/connhelper/ssh/ssh.go:112 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/6455c993f0280dcc.json. Report an issue: GitHub.