AppleMac/Docker

Install Docker 2026

  1. install brew

  2. install x86 emulator 

    softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license
  3. Options

    1. 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
  4. 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

  1. Stop colima 

    colima stop

  2. Start colima with k3s 

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

  3. 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