docker/cli · error

unknown mode: %s, only replicated and global supported

Error message

unknown mode: %s, only replicated and global supported

What it means

Error "unknown mode: %s, only replicated and global supported" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cli/command/service/opts.go:669

			concurrent = options.replicas.Value()
		}
		serviceMode.ReplicatedJob = &swarm.ReplicatedJob{
			MaxConcurrent:    concurrent,
			TotalCompletions: options.replicas.Value(),
		}
	case "global-job":
		if options.maxReplicas > 0 {
			return serviceMode, errors.New("replicas-max-per-node can only be used with replicated or replicated-job mode")
		}
		if options.maxConcurrent.Value() != nil {
			return serviceMode, errors.New("max-concurrent can only be used with replicated-job mode")
		}
		if options.replicas.Value() != nil {
			return serviceMode, errors.New("replicas can only be used with replicated or replicated-job mode")
		}
		serviceMode.GlobalJob = &swarm.GlobalJob{}
	default:
		return serviceMode, fmt.Errorf("unknown mode: %s, only replicated and global supported", options.mode)
	}
	return serviceMode, nil
}

func (options *serviceOptions) ToStopGracePeriod(flags *pflag.FlagSet) *time.Duration {
	if flags.Changed(flagStopGracePeriod) {
		return options.stopGrace.Value()
	}
	return nil
}

// makeEnv gets the environment variables from the command line options and
// returns a slice of strings to use in the service spec when doing ToService
func (options *serviceOptions) makeEnv() ([]string, error) {
	envVariables, err := opts.ReadKVEnvStrings(options.envFile.GetSlice(), options.env.GetSlice())
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/command/service/opts.go:669 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/2b2cac39a8d444b3.json. Report an issue: GitHub.