no configuration file provided: not found

Fix no configuration file provided: not found (docker-compose)

TL;DR

You ran compose from a directory that has no compose file. cd into the directory containing docker-compose.yml, or point compose at it explicitly with docker compose -f /path/to/docker-compose.yml ps. That is the whole fix.

The error, verbatim:

no configuration file provided: not found

Steps

1. Confirm you are in the wrong directory:

   pwd && ls docker-compose.yml compose.yaml 2>/dev/null

Success check: pwd prints the directory; ls shows whether a compose file is there.

1. Change into the directory that holds the compose file:

   cd /path/to/project

Success check: ls lists the compose file in the new directory.

1. Re-run your compose command and verify:

   docker compose ps

Success check: Services are listed with their state; no error.

When to use

You hit this exact error while using docker-compose. The trigger list below matches your situation.

When NOT to use

If the error text differs, or the failure is in a different tool (e.g. a Docker daemon error when you only need the compose fix), find the skill for that exact error instead.

Tool compatibility

Compose v2 (docker compose) and docker-compose v1. Any OS.

Variant phrasings

no configuration file provided: not found

docker compose ps returns no configuration file provided

Root cause

Compose looks for docker-compose.yml / compose.yaml in the current working directory (or the paths given by -f / COMPOSE_FILE). When you run it from anywhere else, it finds nothing and reports this instead of guessing.

Edge cases

• Check the file is not saved with a hidden extension like docker-compose.yml.txt on Windows.
• If you use multiple files, every -f flag must point at a real file; one bad path gives the same error.
• COMPOSEFILE env var overrides the default search; an empty or wrong COMPOSEFILE causes this too.

Where this came from

Resolved from the public discussion at https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70256928 (so:70256928).