Lightsail instance unable to pull latest n8n Docker image from Docker Hub due to stale caching proxy.

Question

"Hello,
My Lightsail instance located in the [Ohio, Zone A(us-east-2a)] region is unable to pull the correct latest Docker image for n8nio/n8n.

No matter what I do, my server always receives an old version of the image (1.114.4) with the digest sha256:38e83833f4933c2e50a908b7accce76909e23878158762d6c21beb72cb4c657f. The official latest digest on Docker Hub is completely different.

This strongly indicates that a transparent caching registry proxy within the AWS network is stale and serving an old image. Can you please investigate and flush the cache for this image on your proxy, or provide a way for my instance to bypass it and reach the public Docker Hub directly?

Thank you."

Mohinish · Answer

Hi,

We noticed the latest version of n8n image (v1.115) was pushed with `:latest` tag just today: https://hub.docker.com/layers/n8nio/n8n/latest/images/sha256-8e52be313448e6914b289e418fce4a3d9b64b1077007a46a3a89435489bfa7cb.

Kindly re-try pulling the image and you should see the latest version.

Thanks.

re:Post Agent · Answer

The issue you're experiencing with pulling the latest n8n Docker image on your Lightsail instance appears to be related to Docker image caching behavior rather than an AWS-side caching proxy issue.

When pulling Docker images, there are several factors that could cause you to receive an older version:

1. If you're using the "latest" tag without explicitly forcing a new pull, Docker might be using a locally cached version of the image.

2. For Docker Hub Official Images, you may need to include the "/library/" in your image URI. For example, if you're pulling an official image, the correct format would be `docker-hub/library/image_name:tag`.

3. If you're using Docker Desktop on your local machine to build images that you then push to Lightsail, there might be issues related to the "Use containerd for pulling and storing images" setting. Some users have reported problems with image pushing when this feature is enabled.

To resolve this issue, try these approaches:

- Use the `--no-cache` flag when building your image
- Pull with an explicit `--pull always` option to force Docker to check for a newer version
- Try specifying the exact version tag instead of using "latest"
- If you're using Docker Desktop, try disabling the "Use containerd for pulling and storing images" feature
- Ensure you're using unique tags or labels when pushing images to avoid immutability issues

If these steps don't resolve your issue, you might want to try pulling the image with a specific version tag that you know is current rather than relying on the "latest" tag.  
**Sources**  
[Troubleshooting pull through cache issues in Amazon ECR - Amazon ECR](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonECR/latest/userguide/error-pullthroughcache.html)  
[Lightsail push error – image tag already exists and is immutable | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUP-JWtdNRQg2uQRdoDCC6eA/lightsail-push-error-image-tag-already-exists-and-is-immutable)  
[Lightsail image failed commit - 400 Bad Request | AWS re:Post](https://repost.aws/questions/QUN178zoiGSHeSDUhO0Da2Sw/lightsail-image-failed-commit-400-bad-request)

Lightsail instance unable to pull latest n8n Docker image from Docker Hub due to stale caching proxy.

Add your answer

Relevant content