Rancher Desktop fails on start-up

[BigNerd]

Actual Behavior

On start-up Rancher Desktop fails with an error message as shown in the results section below.

Steps to Reproduce

Did a factory reset
Startet Rancher Desktop again
Faced the above error message

Result

Kubernetes Error
Rancher Desktop 1.12.3 - darwin (x64)
Error Starting Kubernetes

Error: /Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura exited with code 1

Last command run:
/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura start --tty=false /Users/myuser/Library/Application Support/rancher-desktop/lima/_config/0.yaml
Context:
Starting virtual machine
Some recent logfile lines:

'--tty=false',
'/Users/myuser/Library/Application Support/rancher-desktop/lima/_config/0.yaml'
],
stdout: '',
stderr: 'time="2024-02-23T16:55:17+01:00" level=info msg="Terminal is not available, proceeding without opening an editor"\n' +
'time="2024-02-23T16:55:17+01:00" level=fatal msg="instance name \"0\" too long: \"/Users/mylongusernamexxxxxxxxx/Library/Application Support/rancher-desktop/lima/0/ssh.sock.1234567890123456\" must be less than UNIX_PATH_MAX=104 characters, but is 107"\n',
code: 1,
[Symbol(child-process.command)]: '/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura start --tty=false /Users/mylongusernamexxxxxxxxx/Library/Application Support/rancher-desktop/lima/_config/0.yaml'
}

Expected Behavior

Rancher Desktop should start without error and start the Docker daemon so I can use the docker cli command.

Additional Information

Prior to this error I had a different error at start-up, then I did a factory reset and then ran into the current error.
The previous error was this:

Kubernetes Error
Rancher Desktop 1.12.3 - darwin (x64)
Error Starting Kubernetes

Error: /Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura exited with code 1
Last command run:
/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura shell --workdir=. 0 sudo update-ca-certificates
Context:
Installing CA certificates
Some recent logfile lines:

'WARNING: Skipping duplicate certificate in file ca-cert-DigiCert_Trusted_Root_G4.pem\n' +
'WARNING: Skipping duplicate certificate in file ca-cert-T-TeleSec_GlobalRoot_Class_3.pem\n' +
'WARNING: Skipping duplicate certificate in file ca-cert-rd-68.pem\n' +
'WARNING: Skipping duplicate certificate in file ca-cert-Hellenic_Academic_and_Research_Institutions_ECC_RootCA_2015.pem\n' +
'WARNING: Skipping duplicate certificate in file ca-cert-rd-38.pem\n' +
'run-parts: /etc/ca-certificates/update.d/certhash: exit status 132\n',
code: 1,
[Symbol(child-process.command)]: '/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura shell --workdir=. 0 sudo update-ca-certificates'
}

Rancher Desktop Version

1.12.3

Rancher Desktop K8s Version

v1.28.6 (stable) disabled

Which container engine are you using?

moby (docker cli)

What operating system are you using?

macOS

Operating System / Build Version

macOS Sonoma 14.3

What CPU architecture are you using?

x64

Linux only: what package format did you use to install Rancher Desktop?

None

Windows User Only

No response

[mook-as]

instance name "0" too long: "/Users/mylongusernamexxxxxxxxx/Library/Application Support/rancher-desktop/lima/0/ssh.sock.1234567890123456" must be less than UNIX_PATH_MAX=104 characters, but is 107"\n'

Hi! This looks like it might be the same as #797. Please check if the workaround in #797 (comment) helps? (But as you can see, that issue is still open, because we haven't fixed it yet.)

[BigNerd]

I tried that workaround, but now I am getting the same error as described in #797 (comment)

Kubernetes Error
Rancher Desktop 1.12.3 - darwin (x64)
Error Starting Kubernetes
Error: /Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura exited with code 1
Last command run:
/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura start --tty=false /Users/mylongusernamexxxxxxxxx/Library/Application Support/rancher-desktop/lima/_config/0.yaml

Context:
Starting virtual machine

Some recent logfile lines:

'--tty=false',
'/Users/mylongusernamexxxxxxxxx/Library/Application Support/rancher-desktop/lima/_config/0.yaml'
],
stdout: '',
stderr: 'time="2024-02-24T18:11:31+01:00" level=info msg="Terminal is not available, proceeding without opening an editor"\n' +
'time="2024-02-24T18:11:31+01:00" level=fatal msg="open /Users/mylongusernamexxxxxxxxx/.rdlima/lima/lima.yaml: no such file or directory"\n',
code: 1,
[Symbol(child-process.command)]: '/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura start --tty=false /Users/mylongusernamexxxxxxxxx/Library/Application Support/rancher-desktop/lima/_config/0.yaml'
}

[BigNerd]

Today, the following steps have fixed the issue for me

1. installed Apple's XCode newly with the command xcode-select --install
2. quit Rancher Desktop
3. deleted the moved configuration by execting rm -rf ~/.rdlima
4. started Rancher Desktop and pressed the Rancher Desktop/Troubleshooting/Factory Reset button
5. quit Rancher Desktop again
6. executed the workaround commands from "Starting virtual machine" step fails due to SSH socket path being too long. #797 (comment)
7. started Rancher Desktop again

I am not sure if xcode-select --install was really necessary to make it work but it was indeed necessary for another issue I had after having upgraded to macOS Sonoma and so after that I gave Rancher Desktop another try which finally worked for me.

Thanks for your support!

[BigNerd]

Unfortunately, out of the blue the issue of failed start-up has come back to me. This time the error message is again different.

Kubernetes Error
Rancher Desktop 1.12.3 - darwin (x64)
Error Starting Kubernetes
Error: /Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura exited with code 1

Last command run:
/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura start --tty=false 0

Context:
Starting virtual machine

Some recent logfile lines:
'--tty=false',
'0'
],
stdout: '',
stderr: 'time="2024-02-28T12:41:06+01:00" level=info msg="Using the existing instance \"0\""\n' +
'time="2024-02-28T12:41:06+01:00" level=fatal msg="errors inspecting instance: [failed to get Info from \"/Users/mylongusernamexxxxxxxxx/.rdlima/0/ha.sock\": Get \"http://lima-hostagent/v1/info\": dial unix /Users/mylongusernamexxxxxxxxx/.rdlima/0/ha.sock: connect: connection refused]"\n',
code: 1,
[Symbol(child-process.command)]: '/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl.ventura start --tty=false 0'
}

[BigNerd]

I am closing this issue now as the error has seemingly disappeared without me knowing why. At least it has not occured for like two weeks or so. Fingers crossed it will not pop up again.