docker/cli · error

"--%s" is only supported on a Docker daemon with experimenta

Error message

"--%s" is only supported on a Docker daemon with experimental features enabled

What it means

Error ""--%s" is only supported on a Docker daemon with experimental features enabled" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cmd/docker/docker.go:700

		// daemon to perform a "ping" (even for flags that do not require a
		// daemon connection).
		//
		// See commit b39739123b845f872549e91be184cc583f5b387c for details.

		if _, ok := f.Annotations["version"]; ok && !isVersionSupported(f, details.CurrentVersion()) {
			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf(`"--%s" requires API version %s, but the Docker daemon API version is %s`, f.Name, getFlagAnnotation(f, "version"), details.CurrentVersion()))
			return
		}
		if _, ok := f.Annotations["ostype"]; ok && !isOSTypeSupported(f, details.ServerInfo().OSType) {
			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf(
				`"--%s" is only supported on a Docker daemon running on %s, but the Docker daemon is running on %s`,
				f.Name,
				getFlagAnnotation(f, "ostype"), details.ServerInfo().OSType),
			)
			return
		}
		if _, ok := f.Annotations["experimental"]; ok && !details.ServerInfo().HasExperimental {
			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf(`"--%s" is only supported on a Docker daemon with experimental features enabled`, f.Name))
		}
		// buildkit-specific flags are noop when buildkit is not enabled, so we do not add an error in that case
	})
	return errors.Join(errs...)
}

// Check recursively so that, e.g., `docker stack ls` returns the same output as `docker stack`
func areSubcommandsSupported(cmd *cobra.Command, details versionDetails) error {
	// Check recursively so that, e.g., `docker stack ls` returns the same output as `docker stack`
	for curr := cmd; curr != nil; curr = curr.Parent() {
		// Important: in the code below, calls to "details.CurrentVersion()" and
		// "details.ServerInfo()" are deliberately executed inline to make them
		// be executed "lazily". This is to prevent making a connection with the
		// daemon to perform a "ping" (even for commands that do not require a
		// daemon connection).
		//
		// See commit b39739123b845f872549e91be184cc583f5b387c for details.

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cmd/docker/docker.go:700 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/86eb5176c99f2d48.json. Report an issue: GitHub.