%s could not start tailscale container (version: %s): %w Do

Error message

%s could not start tailscale container (version: %s): %w

Docker build succeeded on retry, but container creation failed. Last %d lines of build output:
%s

What it means

Error "%s could not start tailscale container (version: %s): %w Docker build succeeded on retry, but container creation failed. Last %d lines of build output: %s" thrown in juanfont/headscale.

Source

Thrown at integration/tsic/tsic.go:524

				}

				relevantOutput := strings.Join(lines[startLine:], "\n")

				if buildErr != nil {
					// The diagnostic build also failed - this is the real error
					return nil, fmt.Errorf(
						"%s could not start tailscale container (version: %s): %w\n\nDocker build failed. Last %d lines of output:\n%s",
						hostname,
						version,
						err,
						maxLines,
						relevantOutput,
					)
				}

				if buildOutput != "" {
					// Build succeeded on retry but container creation still failed
					return nil, fmt.Errorf(
						"%s could not start tailscale container (version: %s): %w\n\nDocker build succeeded on retry, but container creation failed. Last %d lines of build output:\n%s",
						hostname,
						version,
						err,
						maxLines,
						relevantOutput,
					)
				}

				// No output at all - diagnostic build command may have failed
				return nil, fmt.Errorf(
					"%s could not start tailscale container (version: %s): %w\n\nUnable to get diagnostic build output (command may have failed silently)",
					hostname,
					version,
					err,
				)
			}
		}

View on GitHub (pinned to 565fd254d0)

Solutions

Inspect the wrapped error for the underlying cause and correct the failing condition (could not start tailscale container (version); retry the operation after fixing the input, configuration, or environment.

Example fix

Inspect the wrapped error for the underlying cause and correct the failing condition (could not start tailscale container (version); retry the operation after fixing the input, configuration, or environment.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at integration/tsic/tsic.go:524 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: The tailscale container build failed and the retry's container creation also failed. Review the included build output lines for the Docker build error.

AI-assisted analysis of juanfont/headscale@565fd254d0 (2026-08-15). Data as JSON: /api/errors/07daeab054323213. Report an issue: GitHub.