random java.lang.NullPointerException: networkMode was not specified

In our ci builds we see random failures every other build saying a container can't be started. Our scenario is the following:

• We have a container running our application
• We have another container (BrowserWebDriverContainer) to run chrome
• We have specified a network for both
• The chrome container depends on the application container.

The code looks like this:

private void createContainers() {
	Network network = Network.newNetwork();
	GenericContainer<?> applicationContainer = new ApplicationContainer();
	applicationContainer.withNetwork(network).withNetworkAliases("app").withExposedPorts(8080, 8443);

	BrowserWebDriverContainer<?> chrome = new BrowserWebDriverContainer<>(
			DockerImageName.parse("selenium/standalone-chrome-debug:3.141.59-20210713")
					.asCompatibleSubstituteFor("selenium/standalone-chrome-debug"));
	chrome.withNetwork(network).withRecordingMode(VncRecordingMode.SKIP, null).dependsOn(applicationContainer);
	
	chrome.start();
}

In this scenario, ApplicationContainer extends GenericContainer<ApplicationContainer>. The code works most of the time. As said, every now and then we see the following error which makes the test run fail.

We are using testcontainers 1.15.3 right now.

java.lang.RuntimeException: com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.core5.http.NoHttpResponseException: localhost:2375 failed to respond
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.ApacheDockerHttpClientImpl.execute(ApacheDockerHttpClientImpl.java:165) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.ZerodepDockerHttpClient.execute(ZerodepDockerHttpClient.java:8) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.shaded.com.github.dockerjava.core.DefaultInvocationBuilder.execute(DefaultInvocationBuilder.java:228) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.shaded.com.github.dockerjava.core.DefaultInvocationBuilder.post(DefaultInvocationBuilder.java:124) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.shaded.com.github.dockerjava.core.exec.CreateNetworkCmdExec.execute(CreateNetworkCmdExec.java:27) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.shaded.com.github.dockerjava.core.exec.CreateNetworkCmdExec.execute(CreateNetworkCmdExec.java:12) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.shaded.com.github.dockerjava.core.exec.AbstrSyncDockerCmdExec.exec(AbstrSyncDockerCmdExec.java:21) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.shaded.com.github.dockerjava.core.command.AbstrDockerCmd.exec(AbstrDockerCmd.java:35) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.Network$NetworkImpl.create(Network.java:92) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.Network$NetworkImpl.getId(Network.java:63) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.applyConfiguration(GenericContainer.java:813) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.tryStart(GenericContainer.java:359) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.lambda$doStart$0(GenericContainer.java:325) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.rnorth.ducttape.unreliables.Unreliables.retryUntilSuccess(Unreliables.java:81) ~[duct-tape-1.0.8.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.doStart(GenericContainer.java:323) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.start(GenericContainer.java:311) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture.uniRun(CompletableFuture.java:719) [?:1.8.0_281]
	at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture$UniRun.tryFire(CompletableFuture.java:701) [?:1.8.0_281]
	at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture$Completion.run(CompletableFuture.java:456) [?:1.8.0_281]
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149) [?:1.8.0_281]
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624) [?:1.8.0_281]
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748) [?:1.8.0_281]
Caused by: com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.core5.http.NoHttpResponseException: localhost:2375 failed to respond
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.core5.http.impl.io.DefaultHttpResponseParser.createConnectionClosedException(DefaultHttpResponseParser.java:87) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.core5.http.impl.io.AbstractMessageParser.parse(AbstractMessageParser.java:243) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.core5.http.impl.io.AbstractMessageParser.parse(AbstractMessageParser.java:53) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.core5.http.impl.io.DefaultBHttpClientConnection.receiveResponseHeader(DefaultBHttpClientConnection.java:187) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.core5.http.impl.io.HttpRequestExecutor.execute(HttpRequestExecutor.java:175) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.HijackingHttpRequestExecutor.execute(HijackingHttpRequestExecutor.java:50) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.core5.http.impl.io.HttpRequestExecutor.execute(HttpRequestExecutor.java:218) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.io.PoolingHttpClientConnectionManager$InternalConnectionEndpoint.execute(PoolingHttpClientConnectionManager.java:596) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.InternalExecRuntime.execute(InternalExecRuntime.java:215) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.MainClientExec.execute(MainClientExec.java:107) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement.execute(ExecChainElement.java:51) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement$1.proceed(ExecChainElement.java:57) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ConnectExec.execute(ConnectExec.java:181) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement.execute(ExecChainElement.java:51) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement$1.proceed(ExecChainElement.java:57) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ProtocolExec.execute(ProtocolExec.java:172) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement.execute(ExecChainElement.java:51) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement$1.proceed(ExecChainElement.java:57) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.HttpRequestRetryExec.execute(HttpRequestRetryExec.java:93) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement.execute(ExecChainElement.java:51) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement$1.proceed(ExecChainElement.java:57) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ContentCompressionExec.execute(ContentCompressionExec.java:128) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement.execute(ExecChainElement.java:51) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement$1.proceed(ExecChainElement.java:57) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.RedirectExec.execute(RedirectExec.java:116) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.ExecChainElement.execute(ExecChainElement.java:51) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.InternalHttpClient.doExecute(InternalHttpClient.java:178) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.shaded.org.apache.hc.client5.http.impl.classic.CloseableHttpClient.execute(CloseableHttpClient.java:67) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at com.github.dockerjava.zerodep.ApacheDockerHttpClientImpl.execute(ApacheDockerHttpClientImpl.java:161) ~[docker-java-transport-zerodep-3.2.8.jar:?]
	... 21 more
ERROR our-image:latest] - Could not start container
java.lang.NullPointerException: networkMode was not specified
	at java.util.Objects.requireNonNull(Objects.java:228) ~[?:1.8.0_281]
	at com.github.dockerjava.api.command.CreateContainerCmd.withNetworkMode(CreateContainerCmd.java:294) ~[docker-java-api-3.2.8.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.applyConfiguration(GenericContainer.java:813) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.tryStart(GenericContainer.java:359) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.lambda$doStart$0(GenericContainer.java:325) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.rnorth.ducttape.unreliables.Unreliables.retryUntilSuccess(Unreliables.java:81) ~[duct-tape-1.0.8.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.doStart(GenericContainer.java:323) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at org.testcontainers.containers.GenericContainer.start(GenericContainer.java:311) ~[testcontainers-1.15.3.jar:?]
	at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture.uniRun(CompletableFuture.java:719) [?:1.8.0_281]
	at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture$UniRun.tryFire(CompletableFuture.java:701) [?:1.8.0_281]
	at java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture$Completion.run(CompletableFuture.java:456) [?:1.8.0_281]
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149) [?:1.8.0_281]
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624) [?:1.8.0_281]
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748) [?:1.8.0_281]
ERROR our-image:latest] - Could not start container

Start in GenericContainer.java around applyConfiguration and Network.java around getId, then reproduce the shown two-container shared-network scenario with Testcontainers 1.15.3. Done means the intermittent startup no longer reaches the networkMode NullPointerException and the application and Chrome containers start successfully.