docker/cli · error

unable to setup input stream: %s

Error message

unable to setup input stream: %s

What it means

Error "unable to setup input stream: %s" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cli/command/container/hijack.go:64

	streams      command.Streams
	inputStream  io.ReadCloser
	outputStream io.Writer
	errorStream  io.Writer

	resp client.HijackedResponse

	tty        bool
	detachKeys string
}

// stream handles setting up the IO and then begins streaming stdin/stdout
// to/from the hijacked connection, blocking until it is either done reading
// output, the user inputs the detach key sequence when in TTY mode, or when
// the given context is cancelled.
func (h *hijackedIOStreamer) stream(ctx context.Context) error {
	restoreInput, err := h.setupInput()
	if err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("unable to setup input stream: %s", err)
	}

	defer restoreInput()

	outputDone := h.beginOutputStream(restoreInput)
	inputDone, detached := h.beginInputStream(restoreInput)

	select {
	case err := <-outputDone:
		return err
	case <-inputDone:
		// Input stream has closed.
		if h.outputStream != nil || h.errorStream != nil {
			// Wait for output to complete streaming.
			select {
			case err := <-outputDone:
				return err
			case <-ctx.Done():

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/command/container/hijack.go:64 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/887f2283a64576f4.json. Report an issue: GitHub.