run docker daemon mac

In this article, you will learn how to run Docker daemon on a Mac in an easy step-by-step guide.

Docker is a popular tool used by developers for creating, deploying, and running applications. The Docker daemon is a background service running on your system that’s responsible for building and running Docker containers. Now, let’s dive in and see how to run Docker daemon on a Mac.

Step 1: Install Docker Desktop

The first requirement to be able to run Docker daemon on a Mac is to have Docker installed on your computer. If you don’t have Docker installed, you can download Docker Desktop for Mac from the official Docker website. After downloading the file, double-click on the Docker.dmg file and follow the instructions to install Docker Desktop.

Experiment with Docker Desktop to get comfortable with it. On the Mac, you can easily launch it from the Launchpad.

Step 2: Access Docker Terminal

Once Docker Desktop is installed, the Docker daemon is automatically running. To check this, you can open the terminal on your Mac (you can find Terminal in Applications under Utilities). Once you have the terminal open, type docker version.

This command will display the version of Docker installed and confirm that the Docker daemon is running. If it shows both the Client and Server details, it means that Docker daemon is running.

Step 3: Running Docker Commands

With the Docker daemon running, you can now run Docker commands in the Mac terminal to manage your Docker containers.

Step 4: Managing Docker Daemon

To have more control over the Docker daemon, you can use Docker commands. For example, you can start or stop the Docker daemon by clicking on the whale icon (Docker desktop in the menu bar), then select ‘Restart…‘.

Take note, on a Mac, the Docker daemon can only be started and stopped through the Docker Desktop app and not from the command line.

In conclusion, running the Docker daemon on a Mac involves installing Docker Desktop, checking its status through the terminal, and managing it through Docker commands. With this guide, even beginners can comfortably run Docker daemon on their machine. Always ensure you are running the latest version of Docker Desktop for optimal performance and the latest features.