Docker 28.1.0 is not compatible with docker/setup-buildx-action

[darrentmagic]

When using docker/setup-buildx-action with the latest version of Docker (28.1.0) the buildx setup action is unable to connect to the docker socket. It appears it's unavailable at the location expected (/run/user/1000/docker.socket).

Run docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
Docker info
  /home/ubuntu/bin/docker version
  Client:
   Version:           28.1.0
   API version:       1.49
   Go version:        go1.23.8
   Git commit:        4d8c241
   Built:             Thu Apr [17](https://github.com/<org>/<repo>/actions/runs/14517224841/job/40735437133#step:5:18) 09:53:56 2025
   OS/Arch:           linux/amd64
   Context:           default
  Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///run/user/1000/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?
  The process '/home/ubuntu/bin/docker' failed with exit code 1
Download buildx from GitHub Releases
Install buildx
  Docker plugin mode
  Fixing perms
  Plugin path: /home/ubuntu/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
Buildx version
Inspecting default docker context
Creating a new builder instance
Error: ERROR: failed to initialize builder builder-05f95600-d266-4d50-a4fd-39a4[23](https://github.com/<org>/<repo>/actions/runs/14517224841/job/40735437133#step:5:24)e5d0e0 (builder-05f95600-d266-4d50-a4fd-39a423e5d0e00): Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///run/user/1000/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?

[omri-shilton]

still happening in 28.1.1

[rodgerhe]

We had a similar issue with 28.1.0 and 28.1.1:
Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///run/user/1000/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?

Just had to ping to 28.0.4:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/docker/docker-install/124d896/rootless-install.sh >> rootless.sh
instead of
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com/rootless >> rootless.sh

[vvoland]

Can you share a workflow that I could use to reproduce the issue?

[greut]

@vvoland Maybe the start of an explanation. We've got the same issue when using the Self-hosted runner setup.

https://github.com/github-aws-runners/terraform-aws-github-runner/blob/01e100f23c1cfc1b2c187dd927d509de37fdc89b/examples/multi-runner/templates/user-data.sh#L58-L67

From what I've observed on systemctl is that this service is not starting properly.

  user-runtime-dir@1000.service                                                loaded active     exited    User Runtime Directory /run/user/1000
● user-runtime-dir@UID.service                                                 loaded failed     failed    User Runtime Directory /run/user/UID

[nosduco]

We had a similar issue with 28.1.0 and 28.1.1: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///run/user/1000/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?

Just had to ping to 28.0.4: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/docker/docker-install/124d896/rootless-install.sh >> rootless.sh instead of curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com/rootless >> rootless.sh

🙏