How to fix Error response from daemon: failed to mount local volume: mount source path does not exist in Docker

First, check if the source path actually exists on your host machine:

ls -la /path/to/your/volume

If the directory does not exist, create it:

mkdir -p /path/to/your/volume

The -p flag creates any missing parent directories.

Docker requires absolute paths for bind mounts. Replace relative paths with absolute paths:

# Wrong - relative path
volumes:
  - ./data:/app/data

# Correct - absolute path
volumes:
  - /home/user/project/data:/app/data

Alternatively, use the $PWD environment variable:

volumes:
  - ${PWD}/data:/app/data

Or in the command line:

docker run -v $(pwd)/data:/app/data myimage

Ensure Docker can access the directory by setting appropriate permissions:

# Check current permissions
ls -la /path/to/your/volume

# Fix ownership if needed
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /path/to/your/volume

# Set read/execute permissions
sudo chmod -R 755 /path/to/your/volume

Note: The user running Docker needs at least read and execute permissions on all parent directories in the path.

If your path contains symlinks, Docker may fail to resolve them. Use the real path instead:

# Find the real path
readlink -f /path/to/your/symlinked/volume

# Use the resolved path in your Docker command
docker run -v /actual/real/path:/app/data myimage

This is a known issue in Docker that has persisted across versions.

If the error persists after a volume directory was deleted, remove the orphaned Docker volume:

# List all volumes
docker volume ls

# Remove the specific volume
docker volume rm <volume_name>

# Or prune all unused volumes
docker volume prune

After pruning, recreate your container and the volumes will be reinitialized.

On Docker Desktop, volume mount issues can sometimes be resolved by restarting:

1. Click the Docker icon in your system tray
2. Select "Restart"
3. Wait for Docker to fully restart
4. Try running your container again

If problems persist, try switching the file sharing backend:
- Open Docker Desktop Settings
- Go to "General" or "Resources > File sharing"
- Try switching between VirtioFS and gRPC FUSE (macOS)
- Ensure your project directory is in a shared location