Problem::

  $ docker compose -f compose.dev.yml ps
  Error response from daemon: client version 1.53 is too new. Maximum supported API version is 1.41

Workaround::

  $ export DOCKER_API_VERSION=1.41

Reason: Debian 12 with docker's own apt repository (https://download.docker.com/linux/debian). ``docker.io`` (from Debian) package version is ``20.10.24+dfsg1-1+deb12u1``, and ``docker-compose-plugin`` (from Docker) got upgraded from ``5.0.1-1~debian.12~bookworm`` to ``5.0.2-1~debian.12~bookworm`` and then ``5.1.0-1~debian.12~bookworm``.

Downgrading/pinning to ``5.0.1`` solved the problem::

  # cat /etc/apt/preferences.d/docker 
  Package: docker-compose-plugin
  Pin: version 5.0.1*
  Pin-Priority: 1000