Docker: 'error getting credentials - err: exec: "docker-credential-desktop": executable file not found in $PATH' (or 'docker-credential-osxkeychain' / 'error storing credentials') on docker login, pull or build. How do I fix the credential helper?

Cause: Docker stores registry logins through a credential helper named in ~/.docker/config.json (the "credsStore" or "credHelpers" keys, e.g. "credsStore": "desktop"). For each login, pull or push it runs a program called docker-credential-<name>. The error means that program isn't on your PATH: common after uninstalling or reinstalling Docker Desktop, switching to another runtime (Colima, OrbStack, Rancher Desktop, plain Docker Engine), copying a config.json between machines, or running docker in a CI/SSH session whose PATH lacks the Docker Desktop bin folder. Fix (pick what matches): 1. Look at ~/.docker/config.json and note the credsStore / credHelpers value. 2. If the helper should exist (Docker Desktop installed), make sure its bin directory is on PATH (Docker Desktop places docker-credential-desktop next to the docker CLI; restarting Docker Desktop or the terminal often fixes PATH), then run which docker-credential-desktop. 3. If you no longer use that helper, edit config.json: remove the "credsStore" line (or change it to a helper you do have, such as osxkeychain on macOS, wincred on Windows, or pass/secretservice on Linux from the docker-credential-helpers project), then docker logout and docker login again. 4. Without any credsStore, Docker saves credentials base64-encoded in config.json, which is not encryption; prefer installing a real credential helper on shared or persistent machines. 5. In CI, use the platform's login action or docker login --password-stdin with a token from the CI secret store, and use a fresh, job-local DOCKER_CONFIG directory. Verify: docker login <registry> succeeds, and docker pull of a private image works. Sources: https://docs.docker.com/reference/cli/docker/login/ https://github.com/docker/docker-credential-helpers