AppleMac/Docker

Install Docker 2026

install brew

install x86 emulator

softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license

Options

lightweight - VM and docker - No desktop/gui

brew install colima docker docker-compose docker-buildx

# Start fresh with Rosetta enabled
colima start --vm-type vz --vz-rosetta --cpu 6 --memory 10

# auto start at bootup
brew services start colima

brew services list

b. heavy docker desktop, business paid

brew install --cask docker

AI note: Colima is especially popular among developers on Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4, M5) because it uses Apple's own virtualization (VZ) and can enable Rosetta for running Intel/x86 containers efficiently.

2026 k8s/kubernetes with colima on MacOs

Stop colima
```
colima stop
```

Start colima with k3s

colima start --kubernetes --vm-type vz --vz-rosetta --cpu 6 --memory 10
# INFO[0001] runtime: docker+k3s

Check k8s

kubectl cluster-info
kubectl get nodes

# NAME     STATUS   ROLES           AGE   VERSION
# colima   Ready    control-plane   67s   v1.35.0+k3s1

2022 M1 Arm cpu

2022-07 the "Docker Desktop" now has option to run single node k8s(Kubernetes) on MAC
Apple Docker network is a bit broken, harder than on linux/wsl2 environment.

Ping host from container

ping host.docker.internal
# or 
ping docker.for.mac.localhost

Install software
```
$ brew install helm
$ brew install sops
```