standard_init_linux.go:211: exec user process caused: no such file or directory — Docker Fix

The Exact Error

standard_init_linux.go:211: exec user process caused: no such file or directory

Or in newer Docker versions:

exec /app/entrypoint.sh: no such file or directory

Quick summary: Docker's Linux kernel is trying to execute your shell script but can't find the interpreter. The script physically exists — the problem is invisible Windows-style line endings (CRLF) that corrupt the shebang line.

Why This Error Happens

Your entrypoint.sh starts with #!/bin/bash. When the Linux kernel executes this file, it reads that first line to determine which interpreter to use. If your script was created or edited on Windows, each line ends with \r\n (carriage return + newline) instead of the Unix-standard \n (newline only).

The kernel sees #!/bin/bash\r and looks for a program at the path /bin/bash\r, which doesn't exist. The \r is invisible in most text editors but it's there.

This is compounded by Git's autocrlf=true setting on Windows, which converts LF to CRLF on checkout even if the file was committed correctly.

Step-by-Step Diagnosis

Step 1 — Confirm the script exists in the container

docker run --entrypoint /bin/sh yourimage -c "ls -la /app/entrypoint.sh"

If the file exists, the error is almost certainly line endings.

Step 2 — Detect CRLF endings

file entrypoint.sh
# CRLF: "Bourne-Again shell script, ASCII text, with CRLF line terminators"

cat -A entrypoint.sh | head -5
# CRLF shows as ^M:  #!/bin/bash^M

Step 3 — Check your Git autocrlf setting

git config core.autocrlf
# "true" on Windows = converting LF to CRLF on checkout (problem)
# "input" = correct behavior

Solutions

Solution 1 — Fix with sed

sed -i 's/\r//' entrypoint.sh

Solution 2 — Use dos2unix

dos2unix entrypoint.sh

Solution 3 — Fix in VS Code

Click CRLF in the bottom-right status bar and select LF. Save.

Solution 4 — Fix permanently with .gitattributes

*.sh text eol=lf
Dockerfile text eol=lf
docker-compose.yml text eol=lf

git rm -r --cached .
git add .
git commit -m "fix: normalize line endings via .gitattributes"

Solution 5 — Fix inside the Dockerfile

RUN sed -i 's/\r//' /app/entrypoint.sh && chmod +x /app/entrypoint.sh
ENTRYPOINT ["/app/entrypoint.sh"]

Quick Reference

Prevent This Error in the Future

1. Set .gitattributes before the first commit for every Docker project.
2. Set git config --global core.autocrlf input — strips CR on commit, never adds it.
3. Add a Dockerfile RUN sed as a safety net even after fixing the source.

Use ToolNinja to Debug Faster

After fixing line endings, verify that file permissions are correct — shell scripts need execute (+x) permission. The chmod calculator gives you the right value without memorizing octal notation.

🔧 Chmod Calculator — toolninja.io/tools/chmod-calculator