Make the docker socker path configurable (eg. to support rootless docker) about podman-desktop

[Zomono]

Also discussed here, for making the podman socket path configurable:

* [Implement option to view rootful containers on Linux 🐧 #2861](https://github.com/containers/podman-desktop/issues/2861)

I think my issue is a little bit different. I only have one docker installation (rootless) while the other issue has two docker installations at the same time. And my only problem is that Docker Desktop could not find the socket file.

So making this currently hard coded path configurable either by a settings entry or by an environment variable would already solve my issue.

[Zomono]

But Podman Desktop then still has to "find" the correct socket path, because the path depends on the user and its id.

[benoitf]

extension could also scan for /run/user/<user-id>/docker.sock (in addition to global socket of Docker)

how did you setup your docker installation ?

also are you using docker context command ?

[Zomono]

I followed these steps to setup docker: https://docs.docker.com/engine/security/rootless/
Until now I have not used docker context.

I already tried to add /run/user/1000/docker.sock to the permission list of flatpak without luck.
If i create a symlink locally from /run/user/1000/docker.sock to /run/docker.sock, it works.

extension could also scan for /run/user//docker.sock (in addition to global socket of Docker)

I could not find any code searching for /run/user in the extension file https://github.com/containers/podman-desktop/blob/main/extensions/docker/src/extension.ts. What am I missing?

[benoitf]

https://github.com/containers/podman-desktop/blob/main/extensions/docker/src/extension.ts#L150

here, on linux we could search for other paths if file exists

[afbjorklund]

Also discussed here, for making the podman socket path configurable:

• #2861

[afbjorklund]

I don't think Podman Desktop supports docker contexts or podman connections, it works directly with hardcoded unix paths.

It also doesn't yet support remote sockets like tcp or ssh, but I think supporting those are in the backlog (EDIT: #279)

[afbjorklund]

Choosing between "system" or "user" socket would probably be enough

It could support more (arbitrary path) for e.g. docker machine, but that is more of advanced feature and not needed for the simple Boolean scenario

[afbjorklund]

But Podman Desktop then still has to "find" the correct socket path, because the path depends on the user and its id.

It already knows how to do this, but it is only enabled for Podman and not for Docker (and vice-verse for the other socket)

function getLinuxSocketPath(): string {
  // grab user id of the user
  const userInfo = os.userInfo();
  const uid = userInfo.uid;

  return `/run/user/${uid}/podman/podman.sock`;
}

  const isWindows = os.platform() === 'win32';
  if (isWindows) {
    socketPath = '//./pipe/docker_engine';
  } else {
    socketPath = '/var/run/docker.sock';
  }