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docker

no space left on device

Docker has run out of disk space. Docker accumulates disk usage over time from old images, stopped containers, unused volumes, and build cache. When the disk fills up, builds fail, pulls fail, and containers can't write to their writable layers.

Common causes

  • Accumulated unused Docker images from previous builds and pulls
  • Stopped containers and their writable layers still taking up space
  • Volumes from deleted containers that were never cleaned up
  • Build cache from repeated builds that wasn't pruned

How to fix it

  1. Run the nuclear option to free everything unused: docker system prune -a --volumes (removes all unused images, containers, networks, and volumes)
  2. More surgical approach: docker image prune -a (images only), docker container prune (stopped containers), docker volume prune (unused volumes)
  3. Check what's using space: docker system df
  4. On Docker Desktop, increase the disk image size in Settings → Resources → Advanced → Disk image size

Example

$ docker build . Step 5/12 : RUN npm install Error response from daemon: no space left on device

Build fails midway because Docker's storage layer ran out of disk space

Related Docker Errors

Cannot connect to Docker daemonPermission denied connecting to Docker socketDocker daemon not running on this hostImage not found or pull access deniedImage manifest not found (tag doesn't exist)

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