If you’re trying to install CUDA on WSL2 Ubuntu and you encounter the “docker: unrecognized service” error, it can be quite frustrating. This error message indicates that the Docker service is not recognized or available on your system. This article will guide you through the steps to resolve this issue and successfully install CUDA.
To fix the "docker: unrecognized service" error when installing CUDA on WSL2 Ubuntu, you need to uninstall the docker.io package and its dependencies using the sudo apt remove docker.io and sudo apt autoremove commands. After that, you can either install Docker Desktop for Windows or the open-source edition of Docker. Once Docker is installed, you can proceed with the CUDA installation.
Uninstalling Docker.io Package
Firstly, you need to uninstall the docker.io package and its dependencies. This can be done by running the following commands:
sudo apt remove docker.io
sudo apt autoremoveThe sudo apt remove docker.io command uninstalls the Docker package. The sudo apt autoremove command removes packages that were automatically installed to satisfy dependencies for other packages and are now no longer needed.
Installing Docker
After uninstalling the Docker.io package, you have two options for installing Docker:
Option 1: Docker Desktop for Windows
This is the recommended option. Docker Desktop offers tight integration with WSL2 and provides additional features like a GUI dashboard, support for multiple WSL2 instances, and automatic upgrades.
You can follow the instructions provided by Docker at Install Docker Desktop for Windows.
Option 2: Open-Source Edition of Docker
This option involves following the official Docker instructions for Ubuntu at Docker Engine on Ubuntu. These instructions assume the installation script will start the Docker daemon, but it fails on WSL2 due to the lack of Systemd support.
However, the open-source edition now provides the init.d script, allowing you to start Docker using the sudo service docker start command.
Installing CUDA
After successfully installing Docker, you can proceed with the CUDA installation. You can follow the instructions provided in the blog post: Getting Started with CUDA on Ubuntu on WSL 2.
Conclusion
While installing CUDA on WSL2 Ubuntu, you may encounter the “docker: unrecognized service” error. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to resolve this issue. Remember, if you’re specifically interested in using OpenCV with GPU support, it’s recommended to use Docker Desktop as it provides better integration and ease of use.
If you encounter any further issues or errors, don’t hesitate to seek assistance. The Linux and Docker communities are very active and there are numerous resources available online to help you troubleshoot any problems.
WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux 2) is a compatibility layer for running Linux binary executables natively on Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019. It provides a Linux kernel interface that allows running a full-fledged Linux environment on Windows.
The "docker: unrecognized service" error occurs when the Docker service is not recognized or available on your system. This can happen if Docker is not installed or if there are issues with the installation.
To uninstall the docker.io package, you can run the following commands:
sudo apt remove docker.io
sudo apt autoremoveThe first command uninstalls the Docker package, while the second command removes any packages that were automatically installed to satisfy dependencies for other packages.
Yes, you can use CUDA on WSL2 Ubuntu. After successfully installing Docker, you can follow the instructions provided in the blog post: Getting Started with CUDA on Ubuntu on WSL 2 to install CUDA.
If you’re specifically interested in using OpenCV with GPU support, it’s recommended to use Docker Desktop as it provides better integration and ease of use. Docker Desktop offers additional features like a GUI dashboard and support for multiple WSL2 instances. However, if you prefer the open-source edition, you can still use it by starting Docker with the sudo service docker start command.
If you encounter any further issues or errors, you can seek assistance from the active Linux and Docker communities. There are numerous online resources available, including forums, documentation, and tutorials, where you can find help and troubleshoot any problems you may face.
