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abiosoft/colima

A lightweight way to run Docker, containerd, or Incus containers on macOS and Linux with minimal setup.

Open-source alternative to:Docker Desktop

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What is it?

Colima provides container runtimes on macOS and Linux with a simple command-line interface and sensible defaults. Running `colima start` brings up a virtual machine with Docker by default, and the standard docker client works against it without extra configuration. Containerd (used through nerdctl) and Incus, which runs both containers and virtual machines, are also supported as runtimes.

The tool handles common day-to-day needs such as automatic port forwarding, volume mounts, and running multiple instances side by side. The VM's CPU, memory, and disk can be set with flags or a config file, and Kubernetes can be enabled with the `--kubernetes` flag. Support covers both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

For AI workloads, Colima offers GPU-accelerated containers on Apple Silicon using the krunkit VM type, along with a `colima model run` command backed by Docker Model Runner or Ramalama.

Key features

  • 01Runs Docker, containerd, or Incus as the container runtime
  • 02Automatic port forwarding and volume mounts
  • 03Multiple instances that can run side by side
  • 04Optional Kubernetes via a single flag
  • 05GPU-accelerated containers for AI workloads on Apple Silicon

Use cases

  • Running Docker on a Mac without installing Docker Desktop
  • Testing containerized apps or Kubernetes locally on macOS
  • Running GPU-accelerated model containers on Apple Silicon Macs

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Colima with Homebrew

    brew install colima
  2. 2

    Start Colima with defaults

    colima start
  3. 3

    Install the Docker client, then run a test container

    brew install docker
  4. 4

    Run the hello-world container

    docker run hello-world

Things to know

  • Primarily targets macOS; Linux support is secondary.
  • Some features, such as GPU-accelerated AI containers, require Apple Silicon and macOS 13+.
  • Running Incus virtual machines is only supported on m3 or newer Apple Silicon devices.
  • Docker client or other runtime clients must be installed separately.

In collections

Open-source Mac apps

Topics

#docker#containers#macos#kubernetes#containerd#virtualization#containerd-compose#docker-compose#incus#k3s

FAQ

What is colima?
A lightweight way to run Docker, containerd, or Incus containers on macOS and Linux with minimal setup. Colima provides container runtimes on macOS and Linux with a simple command-line interface and sensible defaults. Running `colima start` brings up a virtual machine with Docker by default, and the standard docker client works against it without extra configuration. Containerd (used through nerdctl) and Incus, which runs both containers and virtual machines, are also supported as runtimes.
Is colima free to use? What license does it have?
colima is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is colima still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to colima was on Oct 13, 2026.
What can I use colima for?
Running Docker on a Mac without installing Docker Desktop Testing containerized apps or Kubernetes locally on macOS Running GPU-accelerated model containers on Apple Silicon Macs
How do I install colima?
Install Colima with Homebrew: brew install colima Start Colima with defaults: colima start Install the Docker client, then run a test container: brew install docker Run the hello-world container: docker run hello-world
Where can I get colima?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/abiosoft/colima

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