# Issue with Running Docker Compose on Windows via Ansible from Ubuntu **URL:** \ **Category:** Get Help\ **Tags:** windows, ansible-project, ubuntu\ **Created:** [February 7, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/issue-with-running-docker-compose-on-windows-via-ansible-from-ubuntu/40123 "2025-02-07T17:20:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rumeysa\_yuk](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/rumeysa_yuk/32/7507_2.png) [@rumeysa\_yuk](https://forum.ansible.com/u/rumeysa_yuk)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/issue-with-running-docker-compose-on-windows-via-ansible-from-ubuntu/40123/1 "2025-02-07T17:20:13Z")
I am trying to manage a Windows machine from Ubuntu using Ansible. I am able to successfully transfer my target files, including Docker Compose files, to the Windows machine. However, when I try to start the Docker Compose files via Ansible, I encounter the following error: ```auto error getting credentials - err: exit status 1, out: The specified session does not exist. It may have been closed earlier. ``` When I manually run the docker compose up -d command on the Windows machine, it works successfully. Setup: Ansible Playbook: - Install Docker on the Windows machine - Copy the necessary files Start the application with Docker Compose Defaults: - I am connecting to the Windows machine via WinRM. - Docker Desktop is installed on the Windows machine. - I face issues running docker compose via Ansible, but it works when I run it manually on the Windows machine. docker-compose.yml file: ```auto --- - name: Deploy Redis on Windows hosts: redis_hosts vars_files: - ./vars.yml tasks: - name: Ensure Docker is installed win_chocolatey: name: docker-desktop state: present - name: Create application directory win_file: path: "{{ app_files_dest }}" state: directory - name: Copy application files win_copy: src: "{{ app_files_src }}/" dest: "{{ app_files_dest }}" - name: Start the application with Docker Compose win_command: docker compose -f redis.yml up -d args: chdir: "{{ app_files_dest }}" ``` inventory.ini: > [windows] > 192.168.2.152 ansible\_user=w10 ansible\_password=1 ansible\_connection=winrm ansible\_winrm\_transport=basic ansible\_port=5985 ansible\_winrm\_scheme=http vars.yml: > app\_files\_src: “{{ file\_path }}/cache” > app\_files\_dest: ‘C:\app\cache’ Why do I encounter this error when running docker compose via Ansible? How can I resolve this issue? ---
**Author:** ![markuman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@markuman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/markuman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 8:25pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/issue-with-running-docker-compose-on-windows-via-ansible-from-ubuntu/40123/2 "2025-02-07T20:25:19Z")
Configuring windows via ansible is possible. but feels like gambling. What works for me sometimes is switching to `win_shell` with parameter `executable: powershell.exe`. ---
**Author:** ![bvitnik](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/bvitnik/32/4132_2.png) [@bvitnik](https://forum.ansible.com/u/bvitnik)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2025, 9:57pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/issue-with-running-docker-compose-on-windows-via-ansible-from-ubuntu/40123/3 "2025-02-07T21:57:40Z")
> [@markuman](#): > > Configuring windows via ansible is possible. but feels like gambling. I just wanted to quote this as the best description of Windows + Ansible experience I have seen… and it put a big smile on my face 😂 ---
**Author:** ![felixfontein](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/felixfontein/32/7530_2.png) [@felixfontein](https://forum.ansible.com/u/felixfontein)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2025, 12:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/issue-with-running-docker-compose-on-windows-via-ansible-from-ubuntu/40123/4 "2025-02-08T12:40:37Z")
The community.docker collection does not support Windows (see the README: [Ansible Galaxy](https://galaxy.ansible.com/ui/repo/published/community/docker/)). I don’t know what’s the current state of running Python modules on Windows (outside of WSL), but all modules in that collection are Python modules. There are no PowerShell / CSharp modules in the collection. My _guess_ is that the error you’re seeing, > [@rumeysa\_yuk](#): > > ```auto > error getting credentials - err: exit status 1, out: The specified session does not exist. It may have been closed earlier. > > ``` basically means that Python modules still don’t work under Windows. ---
**Author:** ![markuman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@markuman](https://forum.ansible.com/u/markuman)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2025, 4:40pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/issue-with-running-docker-compose-on-windows-via-ansible-from-ubuntu/40123/5 "2025-02-08T16:40:08Z")
> [@felixfontein](#): > > basically means that Python modules still don’t work under Windows. The user is using raw win cmd commands. Thats imho not a python/comminuty.docker issue. ---
**Author:** ![felixfontein](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/felixfontein/32/7530_2.png) [@felixfontein](https://forum.ansible.com/u/felixfontein)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2025, 6:15pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/issue-with-running-docker-compose-on-windows-via-ansible-from-ubuntu/40123/6 "2025-02-08T18:15:54Z")
Oops, I misread that… I’m going to blame that on still recovering from the flu… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jborean](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/jborean/32/1525_2.png) [@jborean](https://forum.ansible.com/u/jborean)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2025, 11:43pm UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/issue-with-running-docker-compose-on-windows-via-ansible-from-ubuntu/40123/7 "2025-02-09T23:43:36Z")
> [@rumeysa\_yuk](#): > > `The specified session does not exist` This would indicate that the `docker.exe` command is trying to access something like the user’s secret store or something else not typically available over a network logon (WinRM/SSH will all produce a network logon). You most likely have a few options to get this working: - Use a auth type that does cred delegation, CredSSP for winrm/psrp, password plaintext auth for ssh - Use become on the task with either the become user being SYSTEM or the same ansible\_user/ansible\_password - See if the `docker.exe compose` step has something to avoid trying to access the DPAPI store - Try using `command` through the local connection plugin The first two options are ways to pretend to be an interactive user and run commands like it would work locally. Reading online it looks like there’s some setting like `"credsStore": "secretservice"` that could be the culprit in the docker config file. Maybe removing it or seeing if there are other options might work if you don’t need the credential store. The last option works but only if the playbook is run through WSL: ```yaml - name: run docker compose through localhost command: docker.exe compose -f redis.yml up -d delegate_to: localhost ``` As WSL can execute Windows binaries natively this should work, if it can’t find `docker.exe` in the Linux `PATH` env var this may work to spawn a sub shell in Windows that can find `docker.exe` ```yaml - name: run docker compose through localhost shell: docker.exe compose -f redis.yml up -d args: executable: /mnt/c/Windows/System32/cmd.exe chdir: /mnt/c/... delegate_to: localhost ``` ---
**Author:** ![rumeysa\_yuk](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/user_avatar/forum.ansible.com/rumeysa_yuk/32/7507_2.png) [@rumeysa\_yuk](https://forum.ansible.com/u/rumeysa_yuk)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 6:25am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/issue-with-running-docker-compose-on-windows-via-ansible-from-ubuntu/40123/8 "2025-02-10T06:25:59Z")
Hi,Thank you for all the answers. I found the solution to the problem and ı am using winrm. The problem was solved when I added the values ​​ become=yes become\_user=w10 to my windows host in my inventory.ini file. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/ansible/original/1X/1882d9a01da5d8996a862359b0913cc568a39b84.svg) [@system](https://forum.ansible.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2025, 6:26am UTC](https://forum.ansible.com/t/issue-with-running-docker-compose-on-windows-via-ansible-from-ubuntu/40123/9 "2025-03-12T06:26:46Z")
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