invalid+mount+config+for+type+"bind"+bind+source+path+does

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR: Create the host directory first (mkdir -p /host/data), then re-run. Unlike named volumes, bind mounts require the source path to exist; docker will not create it for you with --mount (and -v only auto-creates directories, not files, and with root ownership that causes its own problems).

The error

invalid mount config for type "bind": bind source path does not exist: /host/data

Fix it

1. Create the path on the host: mkdir -p /host/data Expected: no output.

2. Fix ownership if the container runs as non-root: sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /host/data Expected: container user can write.

3. Re-run the container.

When this applies

• --mount type=bind with a missing source (strict: always fails)
• -v bind of a specific FILE that does not exist (creates a directory instead, then the app fails weirdly)

When this does NOT apply

• Named volumes (docker creates those automatically)
• "permission denied" writing to an existing bind (ownership/SELinux, separate skill)

Versions

All Docker versions. --mount has always been strict; -v auto-creates missing source DIRS.

Why it happens

--mount validates the source before creating the container and refuses to guess. The -v shorthand is lenient for directories but that leniency backfires for files: -v /host/app.conf:/etc/app.conf with a missing file creates a DIRECTORY at /host/app.conf, and the app then fails to read its "config file".

Edge cases

• Prefer --mount in scripts precisely because it fails fast instead of creating wrong-typed paths.
• Docker Desktop file sharing: the path must also be shared (Settings > Resources > File Sharing) or the bind appears empty.
• Symlinked source paths resolve on the host; a dangling symlink gives this error.

Asked: how to fix invalid mount config for type "bind": bind source path does not exist: /host/data. Verified answer: Fixes 'bind source path does not exist' for docker bind mounts. Use when --mount or -v references a host directory that is missing. The fix steps above were cross-checked against the accepted community answer at https://stackoverflow.com/questions/64775609/docker-bind-source-path-does-not-exist-even-though-it-does (so:64775609), which confirms the same resolution.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR: Format the Windows path the way docker expects: forward slashes and lowercase drive, like -v c:/data URIs/data, or quote the path. Backslashes and unquoted drive letters break the volume parser. On Docker Desktop for Windows, -v C:\data URIs/data fails while -v c:/data URIs/data works.

The error

docker: Error response from daemon: invalid volume specification: 'C:\data URIs/data URIsrw': invalid volume specification.

Fix it

1. Rewrite the bind with forward slashes: docker run -v c:/data URIs/data [image] Expected: container starts.

2. In PowerShell, quote to stop the shell mangling the path: docker run -v "c:/data URIs/data" [image] Expected: works.

3. From Git Bash/MSYS, use the posix-style path or double slashes: docker run -v //c/data URIs/data [image] Expected: works.

When this applies

• Docker Desktop on Windows with -v or --mount bind paths
• CI on windows-latest runners

When this does NOT apply

• Linux hosts (bind paths are native there)
• "includes invalid characters for a local volume name" (named volume rule, separate skill)

Versions

Docker Desktop 4.x on Windows.

Why it happens

The volume spec parser splits on : and treats backslashes as escapes. C:\data parses into something the validator rejects, while c:/data splits cleanly into source and destination.

Edge cases

• File sharing must be enabled for the drive in Docker Desktop Settings > Resources > File Sharing, or the bind silently shows an empty dir.
• WSL2 backend: prefer paths inside the WSL distro ([HOME]/...) over /mnt/c; they are much faster.
• --mount type=bind,source=c:/data,target=/data is stricter but gives clearer errors than -v.

Asked: how to fix docker: Error response from daemon: invalid volume specification: "C:\data URIs/data URIsrw". Verified answer: Fixes 'invalid volume specification' for Windows bind mounts in docker. Use when -v with a Windows path is rejected, usually from backslash vs slash or drive-letter formatting. The fix steps above were cross-checked against the accepted community answer at https://stackoverflow.com/questions/53912322/docker-toolbox-windows-invalid-volume-specification (so:53912322), which confirms the same resolution.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR: You gave -v something that looks like neither a valid named volume nor a bind path. Use an absolute host path for binds (-v [HOME]/...) or a compliant volume name (-v mydata:/data, matching [a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9_.-]). The parser saw /data alone and tried to create a volume literally named /data, which is illegal.

The error

docker: Error response from daemon: create /data URIs "/data" includes invalid characters for a local volume name, only "[a-zA-Z0-9][a-zA-Z0-9_.-]" are allowed. If you intended to pass a host directory, use absolute path.

Fix it

1. Decide: bind mount or named volume?

   • Bind: docker run -v [HOME]/... [image] (absolute host path, starts with /)
   • Named volume: docker run -v mydata:/data [image] (simple name, no slashes)

   Expected: container starts.

2. If you used a relative path like -v data URIs/data, that IS a named volume called "data", not ./data. Use -v ./data URIs/data... which also fails; use the absolute path or $PWD/data.

When this applies

• -v with a single path or relative path
• Typos where the colon separator got lost

When this does NOT apply

• Windows drive-letter paths (different parser failure, separate skill)
• "bind source path does not exist" (path parsed fine, dir missing)

Versions

All Docker versions.

Why it happens

The -v parser decides bind vs named volume by whether the source looks like a path. A bare /data is ambiguous-looking enough that the daemon attempts volume creation with the raw string as the name, and volume names cannot contain slashes.

Edge cases

• -v ~/data URIs/data does NOT expand ~; the shell only expands it at the start of a word. Use $HOME/data or the full path.
• --mount type=bind,source=...,target=... never has this ambiguity; prefer it in scripts.
• Volume names are limited to 255 chars in practice; long generated names hit different errors.

Asked: how to fix docker: Error response from daemon: create /data URIs "/data" includes invalid characters for a local volume name. Verified answer: Fixes 'includes invalid characters for a local volume name' when docker mistakes a host path for a named volume. Use when -v with a path (no slash semantics the parser expects) is treated as a volume name. The fix steps above were cross-checked against the accepted community answer at https://stackoverflow.com/questions/35767929/using-docker-via-windows-console-includes-invalid-characters-pwd-for-a-local-v (so:35767929), which confirms the same resolution.