docker/cli · error

unknown type: %q: must be one of "%s"

Error message

unknown type: %q: must be one of "%s"

What it means

Error "unknown type: %q: must be one of "%s"" thrown in docker/cli.

Source

Thrown at cli/command/system/inspect.go:95

	flags := cmd.Flags()
	flags.StringVarP(&opts.format, "format", "f", "", flagsHelper.InspectFormatHelp)
	flags.StringVar(&opts.objectType, "type", "", "Only inspect objects of the given type")
	flags.BoolVarP(&opts.size, "size", "s", false, "Display total file sizes if the type is container")

	_ = cmd.RegisterFlagCompletionFunc("type", completion.FromList(allTypes...))

	return cmd
}

func runInspect(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, opts inspectOptions) error {
	var elementSearcher inspect.GetRefFunc
	switch opts.objectType {
	case "", typeConfig, typeContainer, typeImage, typeNetwork, typeNode,
		typePlugin, typeSecret, typeService, typeTask, typeVolume:
		elementSearcher = inspectAll(ctx, dockerCli, opts.size, opts.objectType)
	default:
		return fmt.Errorf(`unknown type: %q: must be one of "%s"`, opts.objectType, strings.Join(allTypes, `", "`))
	}
	return inspect.Inspect(dockerCli.Out(), opts.ids, opts.format, elementSearcher)
}

func inspectContainers(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli, getSize bool) inspect.GetRefFunc {
	return func(ref string) (any, []byte, error) {
		res, err := dockerCli.Client().ContainerInspect(ctx, ref, client.ContainerInspectOptions{Size: getSize})
		if err != nil {
			return nil, nil, err
		}
		return res.Container, res.Raw, err
	}
}

func inspectImages(ctx context.Context, dockerCli command.Cli) inspect.GetRefFunc {
	return func(ref string) (any, []byte, error) {
		var buf bytes.Buffer
		resp, err := dockerCli.Client().ImageInspect(ctx, ref, client.ImageInspectWithRawResponse(&buf))

View on GitHub (pinned to e9452d6e78)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/command/system/inspect.go:95 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/e35661f357cbe283.json. Report an issue: GitHub.