invoke-rc.d: could not determine current runlevel

[spences10]

• Your Windows build number: (Type ver at a Windows Command Prompt)
  Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.16299.64]

• What you're doing and what's happening: (Copy&paste specific commands and their output, or include screen shots)
  Trying to remove docker.io so I can install Docker CE

Current status:

/mnt/c/Users/spenc
⟩ sudo apt remove docker.io
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  containerd runc
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  docker.io
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 1 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
After this operation, 62.7 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 30768 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing docker.io (1.13.1-0ubuntu1~16.04.2) ...
invoke-rc.d: could not determine current runlevel
 * Stopping Docker: docker
No process in pidfile '/var/run/docker-ssd.pid' found running; none killed.
invoke-rc.d: initscript docker, action "stop" failed.
dpkg: error processing package docker.io (--remove):
 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 docker.io
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Tried all manner of solutions on SO, sorry don't have the links

I tried following along to this: #1761

Still get the same output, I tried to ignore and go to the next step and install the .deb file with:

⟩ sudo dpkg -i /mnt/c/Users/spenc/Desktop/docker-ce_17.09.0~ce-0~ubuntu_amd64.deb
dpkg: considering removing docker.io in favour of docker-ce ...
dpkg: docker.io is not properly installed; ignoring any dependencies on it
dpkg: yes, will remove docker.io in favour of docker-ce
(Reading database ... 30768 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../docker-ce_17.09.0~ce-0~ubuntu_amd64.deb ...
invoke-rc.d: could not determine current runlevel
 * Stopping Docker: docker
No process in pidfile '/var/run/docker-ssd.pid' found running; none killed.
invoke-rc.d: initscript docker, action "stop" failed.
dpkg: error processing archive /mnt/c/Users/spenc/Desktop/docker-ce_17.09.0~ce-0~ubuntu_amd64.deb (--install):
 subprocess installed pre-removal script returned error exit status 1
dpkg: error while cleaning up:
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:
 /mnt/c/Users/spenc/Desktop/docker-ce_17.09.0~ce-0~ubuntu_amd64.deb

But I'm not getting very far

• What's wrong / what should be happening instead: remove the program?

• Strace of the failing command, if applicable: (If some_command is failing, then run strace -o some_command.strace -f some_command some_args, and link the contents of some_command.strace in a gist here)

I can't work out what this means tried this strace -o apt.strace -f remove docker.io but nothing happenend

See our contributing instructions for assistance.

[spences10]

Ok so I started again with WSL this time avoiding using Linuxbrew, docker.io isn't installed so I skip ahead to installing docker-ce and still get a similar error. Here's the output:

⟩ sudo dpkg -i /mnt/c/Users/spenc/Desktop/docker-ce_17.09.0~ce-0~ubuntu_amd64.deb
(Reading database ... 27427 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../docker-ce_17.09.0~ce-0~ubuntu_amd64.deb ...
invoke-rc.d: could not determine current runlevel
 * Docker already stopped - file /var/run/docker-ssd.pid not found.
Unpacking docker-ce (17.09.0~ce-0~ubuntu) over (17.09.0~ce-0~ubuntu) ...
Setting up docker-ce (17.09.0~ce-0~ubuntu) ...
invoke-rc.d: could not determine current runlevel
Processing triggers for systemd (229-4ubuntu21) ...
Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-19) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...

Anyone able to offer any insight?

Thanks

[spences10]

Ok, it doesn't seem to be supported by WSL:

https://forums.docker.com/t/cant-get-docker-to-start/32314

If one of the contributors could confirm then I'm happy to close this.

Many thanks.

[therealkenc]

#2288 #2291. Please track progress in those open tickets. #2288 in particular tracks the ask in your OP (though it takes a little remedial German to see).

[paulvandenburg]

I've found the solution in #2288, putting it here for wanders from Google.
Edit the file /var/lib/dpkg/info/docker.io.prerm and remove/comment the if check at the end with the invoke command.

if ([ -x "/etc/init.d/docker" ] || [ -e "/etc/init/docker.conf" ]) && \
   [ "$1" = remove ]; then
        invoke-rc.d docker stop || exit $?
fi

However do make sure the docker service is not running sudo service docker stop.
See also jstachowiak's comment in that issue: #2288 (comment)

[Hiten-shell-2020]

I've found the solution in #2288, putting it here for wanders from Google.
Edit the file /var/lib/dpkg/info/docker.io.prerm and remove/comment the if check at the end with the invoke command.

if ([ -x "/etc/init.d/docker" ] || [ -e "/etc/init/docker.conf" ]) && \
   [ "$1" = remove ]; then
        invoke-rc.d docker stop || exit $?
fi

However do make sure the docker service is not running sudo service docker stop.
See also jstachowiak's comment in that issue: #2288 (comment)

This fix works