hyperledger/fabric · error

docker build is disabled

Error message

docker build is disabled

What it means

disabledDockerBuilder is a ccapi build implementation installed when the peer is configured with external builders and Docker builds are disabled. Its Build method unconditionally returns this error, so any attempt to build a chaincode package via the legacy Docker path fails with this message.

Solutions

1. Package and deploy the chaincode as an external builder package so the disabled Docker path is never used.
2. Re-enable Docker builds in peer configuration if legacy Docker chaincode is required.
3. Verify the external builder definitions match the chaincode package type (type/label in the package metadata).

Example fix

// before
peer lifecycle chaincode package cc.tar.gz --path . --lang golang --label cc1  # requires docker build (disabled)
// after
# package as CC-type external package
{ "path": "...", "type": "cc" } ; peer lifecycle chaincode package ext.tar.gz --path . --lang binary --label cc1

// before install/instantiate on a docker-build-disabled peer, ensure package is external-builder compatible
if pkg.Type != "cc" { return fmt.Errorf("peer has docker builds disabled; use external builder package") }

if err := installChaincode(pkg); err != nil && err.Error() == "docker build is disabled" {
    return fmt.Errorf("repackage as external builder package or re-enable docker builds: %w", err)
}

When it happens

Trigger: Invoking chaincode build/install flow on a peer where CORE_CHAINCODE_EXTERNALBUILDERS / docker build disablement is configured, but the chaincode package is not handled by an external builder, so it falls through to disabledDockerBuilder.Build.

Common situations: Operating a locked-down peer with docker builds disabled (e.g. for security) while deploying legacy chaincode that still requires Docker builds; forgetting to package chaincode for external builders; misconfigured external builder paths.

Related errors

• cannot specify both "--signature-policy" and…
• chaincode deployment spec cannot be nil in a package
• chaincode interest is nil
• chaincode interest must contain at least one chaincode
• chaincode name in interest cannot be empty

AI-assisted analysis of hyperledger/fabric@2736b63f8f (2026-09-04). Data as JSON: /api/errors/41de383f2f88767f. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at internal/peer/node/start.go:162

	mdBytes []byte,
	codePackage io.Reader,
) (container.Instance, error) {
	i, err := e.detector.Build(ccid, mdBytes, codePackage)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	// ensure <nil> is returned instead of (*externalbuilder.Instance)(nil)
	if i == nil {
		return nil, nil
	}
	return i, err
}

type disabledDockerBuilder struct{}

func (disabledDockerBuilder) Build(string, *persistence.ChaincodePackageMetadata, io.Reader) (container.Instance, error) {
	return nil, errors.New("docker build is disabled")
}

type endorserChannelAdapter struct {
	peer *peer.Peer
}

func (e endorserChannelAdapter) Channel(channelID string) *endorser.Channel {
	if peerChannel := e.peer.Channel(channelID); peerChannel != nil {
		return &endorser.Channel{
			IdentityDeserializer: peerChannel.MSPManager(),
		}
	}

	return nil
}

type custodianLauncherAdapter struct {
	launcher      chaincode.Launcher

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