alt Hacker NewsI tried to use podman desktop for a bit but I ran into some screwy compatibility issues. It just wasn't as smooth as docker.
I really really want an alternative to docker desktop. I don't like the path they're going down. I don't like the AI crap in the UI. The licensing is crazy. It just doesn't feel right.
So I've been lately using rancher by SuSE. Surprisingly, it's been all right. So far it just works. I'm using this on Mac OS.
If anybody's looking for an alternative that's one worth considering.
Replies
OrbStack is a very compelling alternative on macOS. The GUI launches instantly due to being a Swift app and not Electron. Container filesystems are visible in Finder. You can spin up full-blown VMs with it (only Linux ones though). Storage is managed dynamically, so you don't have to reserve or resize the virtual disk. Free for personal use, with zero nags or upsells.
I put off podman for a while because of claims of compatibility issues, which is unfortunate because I've had an excellent experience since switching over. Can you point as specific issues you've had (not doubting, just curious)?
I also have heard a lot of recommendations for OrbStack, but I haven't had problems with speed either. And I could never stomach using a proprietary system for such a core part of my workflow.
For context I use containers for practically everything and I run some decently complex workflows on them: fullstack node codebases, networking, persistent volumes, mounting, watch mode, etc. Red Hat knocked it out of the park with podman!
What sort of compatibility issues were you encountering? (disclaimer: I'm on the Podman Desktop team)
If it was compose + docker compatibility issues, that's on the roadmap for improvement :). Compose support is flakey at times (it's essentially a wrapper around the open source binary https://github.com/docker/compose)
I love rancher too and I have less issues of docker using all of my local disk. Learned about it at a local Python meetup.
Sorrt for may be a complete ignorant question but whats the use case of docker desktop as opposed docker cli
Another alternative (although Mac OS-only) is [0] OrbStack. Some devs in my team are running it as a more performant alternative to Docker Desktop for Mac and they are very happy so far.
[0]: https://orbstack.dev
I got into problems with test containers on podman and I have no idea how to solve them. Have you fought with that by any chance?
I'll just add another vote for OrbStack. I found it way faster on M1 and M5 and never found any compatibility issues.
I also like that Rancher Desktop supports nerdctl. Colima is another similar project.
I'm still confused by why anyone wants to use either Docker or Podman desktops. The the docker/Podman CLIs seem like a much better way to interact with containers/images. Maybe it's just my usecase.