exit with usage if container type is windows

cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go

@@ -156,6 +156,15 @@ func runStart(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	ds, alts, specified := selectDriver(existing)
 	starter, err := provisionWithDriver(cmd, ds, existing)
 	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, oci.ErrWindowsContainers) {
+			out.ErrLn("")
+			out.ErrT(out.Conflict, "Your Docker Desktop container os type is Windows but Linux is required.")
+			out.T(out.Warning, "Please change Docker settings to use Linux containers instead of Windows containers.")
+			out.T(out.Documentation, "https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-windows/#switch-between-windows-and-linux-containers")
+			exit.UsageT(`You can verify your Docker container type by running:
+	{{.command}}
+		`, out.V{"command": "docker info --format '{{.OSType}}'"})
+		}
 		if specified {
 			// If the user specified a driver, don't fallback to anything else
 			exit.WithError("error provisioning host", err)

pkg/drivers/kic/oci/errors.go

+/*
+Copyright 2020 The Kubernetes Authors All rights reserved.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package oci
+
+import "errors"
+
+var ErrWindowsContainers = errors.New("Docker daemon's container type is windows")
\ No newline at end of file

pkg/drivers/kic/oci/oci.go

@@ -104,6 +104,17 @@ func PrepareContainerNode(p CreateParams) error {
 
 // CreateContainerNode creates a new container node
 func CreateContainerNode(p CreateParams) error {
+	// on windows os, if docker desktop is using Windows Containers. Exit early with error
+	if p.OCIBinary == Docker && runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		info, err := DaemonInfo(p.OCIBinary)
+		if info.OSType == "windows" {
+			return ErrWindowsContainers
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	runArgs := []string{
 		"-d", // run the container detached
 		"-t", // allocate a tty for entrypoint logs

pkg/minikube/node/start.go

@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
 	cmdcfg "k8s.io/minikube/cmd/minikube/cmd/config"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/addons"
+	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/drivers/kic/oci"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/bootstrapper/images"
 	"k8s.io/minikube/pkg/minikube/cluster"
@@ -356,7 +357,6 @@ func startHost(api libmachine.API, cc config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node) (*hos
 	if err == nil {
 		return host, exists, nil
 	}
-	out.ErrT(out.Embarrassed, "StartHost failed, but will try again: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": err})
 
 	// NOTE: People get very cranky if you delete their prexisting VM. Only delete new ones.
 	if !exists {
@@ -366,6 +366,13 @@ func startHost(api libmachine.API, cc config.ClusterConfig, n config.Node) (*hos
 		}
 	}
 
+	// don't try to re-create if container type is windows.
+	if errors.Is(err, oci.ErrWindowsContainers) {
+		glog.Infof("will skip retrying to create machine because error is not retriable: %v", err)
+		return host, exists, err
+	}
+
+	out.ErrT(out.Embarrassed, "StartHost failed, but will try again: {{.error}}", out.V{"error": err})
 	// Try again, but just once to avoid making the logs overly confusing
 	time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)