Docker Desktop is the default way to get docker on your machine, and when you search, it suggests installing it. To find the documentation to do it differently - is a hassle.
It remains free for small businesses (fewer than 250 employees AND less than $10 million in annual revenue), personal use, education, and non-commercial open-source projects.
Here I'm sharing the simplest way to go around it.
Docker on Mac with no Docker Desktop
brew install docker docker-compose
Docker Compose on Mac without Docker Desktop
After installing the Docker, you will see the message.
Compose is now a Docker plugin. For Docker to find this plugin, symlink it:
mkdir -p ~/.docker/cli-plugins
ln -sfn /opt/homebrew/opt/docker-compose/bin/docker-compose ~/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
Just execute the above, and we did not finish yet!
Enjoy!
Free Replacement Docker Desktop
Docker Desktop installs Docker Engine, which can run only on Linux. So far, we have installed only CLI tools. For images to run, we need an environment.
Rancher Desktop replaces Docker Desktop! Happily to Rancher Desktop v1.0.0 was just released with M1 chip compatibility and solved this problem for us!
If you are on the Mac with an M1 chip, download the file with
...mac.aarch64.zipfrom
releases page on GitHub
Rancher Desktop No access error
In case you are a missing directory or existing directory permissions will not compatible, run these:
sudo mkdir /usr/local/bin
sudo chown $USER /usr/local/bin
Other Docker Desktop alternatives
- Docker + Hyperkit + Minikube: does not work on M1 Macs
- Podman - lacks of ability to mount volumes from the host OS
- Lima + nerdctl - It is not really a docker
Thanks for reading!
Enjoy!
Top comments (11)
hi thanks for the tutorial, want to add..
i've installed like your tutorial in monterey and end up with docker daemon not running. so its solved by
brew install --cask docker
thanks.. hope it help other
By doing that you are installing Docker Desktop which defeats the purpose of this post
Not sure how you got docker to work, here. My understanding is that nerdctl replaces docker. Here's a good walk-through: youtu.be/evWPib0iNgY
( when I tried your command, above, before I had an idea what was going on, I got an error that the application already existed:
Ranched Desktop gives a choise to use
nerdctl,dockeretc. All good!With the link to video you shared - you can completely go away from
dockercli, and for me it is not an option atm.Thanks for bringing it up!
I've moved to Rancher Desktop. Thanks for the recommendations!
Didn't work for me.
Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?EC2/Mac ARM cpu, ssh only.
TIl that you cab run Mac CPU on Ec2. Wow
@mugane you need to start the Desktop app via shell than? Since it is replacement for Docker Desktop app. And these apps are UI apps, oriented for UI usage. I’m not sure if you will run into another issues after launching it.
There is no desktop, the only access we will have is via shell. The only possible access we will ever have is via shell, since it is scripted. Even if we could start a desktop, we would not be able to see it to do anything with it, and even if there were a way to see it, it would be pointless because it is a script, not a human, that is running the setup, and the script doesn't have eyes, or a mouse, or know what to click.
Have you solve the issue?
Running on M1 Mac ( Monterey 12.6.3 (21G419) ) with the following Steps:
1 Add docker cask (Note: If you get Error: It seems there is already a Binary at '/usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions/_docker' this means that the previously installed docker cli tools needs removing --> use
brew remove docker docker-compose)2 Add docker CLI tools
3 Reboot
4 Start Docker Desktop app
5 Able to use the CLI tools (Docker Desktop must be running)
Test to see if it worked --> Yes !!!
This way you install Docker Desktop app which defeats the purpose of this article - to avoid Desktop app, since it became not completely free. See the beginning of the article.
P.S. Thanks for sharing the other way anyway. I’m sure it will help somebody in the future