Docker Desktop Alternatives When It’s no longer free to use

As a long-time user of Docker and its beneficial features, I recently encountered a policy change at my company. To comply with licensing regulations and avoid charges, the use of Docker Desktop was prohibited. This posed a challenge for me and my colleagues as we had to find alternative methods for our local development and simple proof-of-concept projects. After thorough research, I discovered a few tools that could help us bypass this policy. Let me share two approaches for Windows and one for MacOS.

MacOS

For MacOS users seeking a Docker alternative, Colima proved to be an excellent solution. The setup process is quite straightforward. Follow the steps below to get started:

# 1 Install Colima and its Docker dependencies using Homebrew:
brew install colima
brew install docker
#2. Start Colima
colima start
#3. Verify your Docker installation by running a simple container:
docker run hello-world

By following these steps, you can have Docker up and running again on MacOS using Colima.

Windows

On Windows, you can utilize the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) to work with Docker alternatives. Here’s a step-by-step guide to installing and configuring WSL:

1. Open a command prompt or PowerShell as an administrator.
2. Install WSL by running the following command:

wsl --install

Once the installation is complete, choose a Linux distribution that suits your requirements. For instance, to install Ubuntu 22.04, use the following command:

wsl --distribution Ubuntu-22.04

For more detailed instructions and alternative Linux distributions, you can refer to the official Microsoft documentation available at: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-manual#step-4---download-the-linux-kernel-update-package

Podman

Podman is another alternative that allows you to run containers similar to Docker. You have two options for using Podman: Podman Desktop or the Podman CLI. The Podman commands closely resemble those of Docker, making it easy to transition.

If you require functionality similar to Docker Compose, you can install Podman Compose using the following command:

pip3 install podman-compose

With Podman and Podman Compose installed, you can effectively run containers and manage your containerized applications.

Please keep in mind that the instructions provided assume a basic understanding of command-line tools and package managers. It’s essential to consult the official websites and documentation of these tools for further guidance on proper installation and configuration

I hope this helps you, and if you have any suggestions for improvement, let me know.