netbirdio/netbird · error

failed to connect to daemon error: %v If the daemon is not r

Error message

failed to connect to daemon error: %v
If the daemon is not running please run: 
netbird service install 
netbird service start

What it means

Error "failed to connect to daemon error: %v If the daemon is not running please run: netbird service install netbird service start " thrown in netbirdio/netbird.

Source

Thrown at client/cmd/root.go:442

func migrateToNetbird(oldPath, newPath string) bool {
	_, errOld := os.Stat(oldPath)
	_, errNew := os.Stat(newPath)

	if errors.Is(errOld, fs.ErrNotExist) || errNew == nil {
		return false
	}

	return true
}

func getClient(cmd *cobra.Command) (*grpc.ClientConn, error) {
	cmd.SetOut(cmd.OutOrStdout())

	conn, err := DialClientGRPCServer(cmd.Context(), daemonAddr)
	if err != nil {
		//nolint
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to connect to daemon error: %v\n"+
			"If the daemon is not running please run: "+
			"\nnetbird service install \nnetbird service start\n", err)
	}

	return conn, nil
}

// isServiceCmd returns true if cmd is the "service" command or a child of it.
func isServiceCmd(cmd *cobra.Command) bool {
	for c := cmd; c != nil; c = c.Parent() {
		if c.Name() == "service" {
			return true
		}
	}
	return false
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 93e97f4bf1)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at client/cmd/root.go:442 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of netbirdio/netbird@93e97f4bf1 (2026-08-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/4a8ce5d80bb9b657. Report an issue: GitHub.