SSH tool not finding commands

[PTS]

Describe the problem/error/question

I’ve successfully connected a server to my n8n instance which is running some docker containers I would like to check on using the docker ps command. While some basic commands like echo or hostname work, this particular one doesn’t, even though the credentials are for a user in the docker group (so no need for sudo or anything like that).

What is the error message (if any)?

ash: docker: command not found

Please share your workflow

Share the output returned by the last node

[
{
“code”: 127,
“signal”: null,
“stdout”: “”,
“stderr”: “ash: docker: command not found”
}
]

Information on your n8n setup

• n8n version: 1.113.3
• Database (default: SQLite): postgres15
• n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main): default
• Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app): docker
• Operating system: Synology DSM

[mohamed3nan]

You’re already inside a Docker container, so it makes sense that docker ps doesn’t work

[jabbson]

If you are running n8n in Docker, then the command you are running in Execute a command node is running inside that docker container, not on your host, where docker command is available.

What you could try is this:

Export docker’s group and bind docker socket inside the container

Then restart your container with docker compose down and up again.

[PTS]

Thanks for the detail, I’ll try this and report back. Also guess I need to revisit my understanding of connecting to a server via SSH from a container - wasn’t anticipating a difference between connecting from a container vs connecting via terminal or other any CLI