Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Stable and Edge releases

How do I get the Stable or the Edge version of Docker Desktop?

You can download the Stable or the Edge version of Docker Desktop from Docker Hub.

For installation instructions, see Install Docker Desktop on Mac.

What is the difference between the Stable and Edge versions of Docker Desktop?

Two different download channels are available in the Community version of Docker Desktop:

The Stable channel provides a general availability release-ready installer for a fully baked and tested, more reliable app. The Stable version of Docker Desktop comes with the latest released version of Docker Engine. The release schedule is synched with Docker Engine releases and patch releases. On the Stable channel, you can select whether to send usage statistics and other data.

The Edge channel provides an installer with new features we are working on, but is not necessarily fully tested. It comes with the experimental version of Docker Engine. Bugs, crashes, and issues are more likely to occur with the Edge version, but you get a chance to preview new functionality, experiment, and provide feedback as the apps evolve. Releases are typically more frequent than for Stable, often one or more per month. Usage statistics and crash reports are sent by default. You do not have the option to disable this on the Edge channel.

Can I switch between Stable and Edge versions of Docker Desktop?

Yes, you can switch between Stable and Edge versions. You can try out the Edge releases to see what’s new, then go back to Stable for other work. However, you can only have one version of Docker Desktop installed at a time. For more information, see Switch between Stable and Edge versions.

What is Docker.app?

Docker.app is Docker Desktop on Mac. It bundles the Docker client and Docker Engine. Docker.app uses the macOS Hypervisor.framework to run containers, which means that a separate VirtualBox is not required to run Docker Desktop.

What are the system requirements for Docker Desktop?

You need a Mac that supports hardware virtualization. For more information, see Docker Desktop Mac system requirements.

What is an experimental feature?

Experimental features provide early access to future product functionality. These features are intended for testing and feedback only as they may change between releases without warning or can be removed entirely from a future release. Experimental features must not be used in production environments. Docker does not offer support for experimental features.

To enable experimental features in the Docker CLI, edit the config.json file and set experimental to enabled.

To enable experimental features from the Docker Desktop menu, click Settings (Preferences on macOS) > Command Line and then turn on the Enable experimental features toggle. Click Apply & Restart.

For a list of current experimental features in the Docker CLI, see Docker CLI Experimental features.

How do I?

How do I connect to the remote Docker Engine API?

You might need to provide the location of the Engine API for Docker clients and development tools.

On Docker Desktop, clients can connect to the Docker Engine through a Unix socket: unix:///var/run/docker.sock.

See also Docker Engine API and Docker Desktop for Mac forums topic Using pycharm Docker plugin...

If you are working with applications like Apache Maven that expect settings for DOCKER_HOST and DOCKER_CERT_PATH environment variables, specify these to connect to Docker instances through Unix sockets. For example:

export DOCKER_HOST=unix:///var/run/docker.sock

How do I connect from a container to a service on the host?

Mac has a changing IP address (or none if you have no network access). We recommend that you attach an unused IP to the lo0 interface on the Mac so that containers can connect to this address.

For more information and examples, see I want to connect from a container to a service on the host in the Networking topic.

How do I connect to a container from Mac?

We recommend that you publish a port, or connect from another container. You can use the same method on Linux if the container is on an overlay network and not a bridge network, as these are not routed.

For more information and examples, see I want to connect to a container from the Mac in the Networking topic.

Can I use an SSH agent inside a container?

Yes, you can use the host’s SSH agent inside a container. For more information, see SSH agent forwarding.

How do I add custom CA certificates?

Docker Desktop supports all trusted certificate authorities (CAs) (root or intermediate). For more information on adding server and client side certs, see Add TLS certificates in the Getting Started topic.

How do I add client certificates?

For information on adding client certificates, see Add client certificates in the Getting Started topic.

Can I pass through a USB device to a container?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to pass through a USB device (or a serial port) to a container as it requires support at the hypervisor level.

Can I run Docker Desktop in nested virtualization scenarios?

Docker Desktop can run inside a Windows 10 VM running on apps like Parallels or VMware Fusion on a Mac provided that the VM is properly configured. However, problems and intermittent failures may still occur due to the way these apps virtualize the hardware. For these reasons, Docker Desktop is not supported in nested virtualization scenarios. It might work in some cases, and not in others. For more information, see Running Docker Desktop in nested virtualization scenarios.

Components of Docker Desktop

What is HyperKit?

HyperKit is a hypervisor built on top of the Hypervisor.framework in macOS. It runs entirely in userspace and has no other dependencies.

We use HyperKit to eliminate the need for other VM products, such as Oracle VirtualBox or VMWare Fusion.

What is the benefit of HyperKit?

HyperKit is thinner than VirtualBox and VMWare fusion, and the version we include is customized for Docker workloads on Mac.

Why is com.docker.vmnetd running after I quit the app?

The privileged helper process com.docker.vmnetd is started by launchd and runs in the background. The process does not consume any resources unless Docker.app connects to it, so it’s safe to ignore.

Feedback

What kind of feedback are we looking for?

Everything is fair game. We’d like your impressions on the download-install process, startup, functionality available, the GUI, usefulness of the app, command line integration, and so on. Tell us about problems, what you like, or functionality you’d like to see added.

What if I have problems or questions?

You can find information about diagnosing and troubleshooting common issues in the Logs and Troubleshooting topic.

If you do not find a solution in Troubleshooting, browse issues on Docker Desktop for Mac issues on GitHub or create a new one. You can also create new issues based on diagnostics. To learn more, see Diagnose problems, send feedback, and create GitHub issues.

The Docker Desktop for Mac forum provides discussion threads as well, and you can create discussion topics there, but we recommend using the GitHub issues over the forums for better tracking and response.

How can I opt out of sending my usage data?

If you do not want to send of usage data, use the Stable channel. For more information, see What is the difference between the Stable and Edge versions of Docker Desktop.

How is personal data handled in Docker Desktop?

When uploading diagnostics to help Docker with investigating issues, the uploaded diagnostics bundle may contain personal data such as usernames and IP addresses. The diagnostics bundles are only accessible to Docker, Inc. employees who are directly involved in diagnosing Docker Desktop issues.

By default Docker, Inc. will delete uploaded diagnostics bundles after 30 days unless they are referenced in an open issue on the docker/for-mac or docker/for-win issue trackers. If an issue is closed, Docker, Inc. will remove the referenced diagnostics bundles within 30 days. You may also request the removal of a diagnostics bundle by either specifying the diagnostics ID or via your GitHub ID (if the diagnostics ID is mentioned in a GitHub issue). Docker, Inc. will only use the data in the diagnostics bundle to investigate specific user issues, but may derive high-level (non personal) metrics such as the rate of issues from it.