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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://tally.wharflab.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

The Docker CLI plugin lets you run tally lint as docker lint. It is a client-side Docker CLI plugin, not a Docker Engine plugin, so it does not install anything into the Docker daemon. docker lint maps to the lint command only. Use tally lsp --stdio for editor integrations and tally version for full standalone version details.

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Install

Install tally globally, make sure docker info works, then ask tally to register the docker-lint plugin with Docker. 
brew install wharflab/tap/tally
tally register-docker-plugin
The command refuses project-local or temporary launches such as node_modules, bunx, an active Python virtual environment, and go run. Use a global install before running it. During registration, tally runs docker info --format json, checks the Docker CLI version, inspects existing Docker CLI plugins, and verifies the registration after writing docker-lint. If Docker already has a non-tally lint plugin, tally stops instead of shadowing it. If an older tally plugin is present, tally reports the upgrade. If a newer tally plugin is already registered, tally does not overwrite it unless you pass --force. 
Found Docker CLI version 29.4.1
Upgrading tally lint plugin from version 0.5.6 to 0.7.19
Verify the plugin: 
docker lint --help
Use --dry-run to inspect the Docker CLI version, source, target path, and existing plugin decision before making changes: 
tally register-docker-plugin --dry-run

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Manual fallback

If you cannot use tally register-docker-plugin, register the same binary as docker-lint. 
mkdir -p ~/.docker/cli-plugins
ln -sf "$(command -v tally)" ~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-lint
docker lint --help
On Windows, repeat the copy after upgrading tally unless your installer manages the plugin file for you. Homebrew also installs a docker-lint symlink under its own Docker plugin directory. If you prefer to use that Homebrew-managed file, add Homebrew’s plugin directory to ~/.docker/config.json: 
{
  "cliPluginsExtraDirs": [
    "/opt/homebrew/lib/docker/cli-plugins"
  ]
}
Use /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins on Intel macOS, or the matching Linuxbrew prefix on Linux.

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Usage

Use docker lint the same way you use tally lint: 
docker lint Dockerfile
docker lint .
docker lint --format json Dockerfile
docker lint --fix Dockerfile
docker lint docker-bake.hcl --target web
docker lint compose.yaml --service api
Docker global flags go before lint. tally flags go after lint: 
docker --context production lint Dockerfile
docker lint --context . Dockerfile
The first command selects Docker’s current context. The second command passes tally’s build context option.

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Troubleshooting

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docker: 'lint' is not a docker command

Docker did not find docker-lint. Check that the file exists in one of Docker’s CLI plugin directories or in a directory listed by cliPluginsExtraDirs. 
ls ~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-lint
Run tally register-docker-plugin --dry-run to confirm where tally will register docker-lint.

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Invalid plugin metadata

Run the metadata command directly: 
~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-lint docker-cli-plugin-metadata
The output should be JSON with "SchemaVersion": "0.1.0" and "Vendor": "Wharflab". If it prints normal tally help instead, the file is not named docker-lint.

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Wrong architecture binary

Use a tally binary that matches your operating system and CPU architecture. This matters when copying binaries manually between machines or between Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

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Missing execute bit on macOS/Linux

Make the plugin executable: 
chmod +x ~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-lint

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Command name conflict

lint is a generic plugin command name. If another docker-lint exists earlier in Docker’s plugin search path, Docker may run that plugin instead. Remove the conflicting file or adjust cliPluginsExtraDirs.

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Limitations

docker lint exposes linting only. It does not expose tally lsp or tally version as Docker subcommands. WinGet exposes the tally command only. Run tally register-docker-plugin after installing or upgrading tally through WinGet.