Docker has already taken the world by storm and put containers on the mainstream map. Now Docker is expanding its horizons with the announcement of beta versions of Docker for Windows and Docker for Mac–native Docker applications designed to run on the most popular desktop operating systems.
Docker put containers on the map and has driven the mainstream container craze over the past few years. Docker has been adopted by and integrated into most major platforms and cloud services by this point—but it has remained a Linux-centric solution…until now. Today Docker announced the beta release of Docker for Mac and Docker for Windows.
Docker invested significant effort to customize the software architecture and optimize Docker for each respective platform. According to Docker, the result is an OS-native experience that allows Docker to integrate with the Windows and Mac OS X operating systems and run just like any traditional application.
“Docker for Mac and Windows reflects deep OS system-level work from our Unikernel Systems team and demonstrates how, moving forward, we can leverage native platform capabilities to provide users with the same optimized Docker experience on all platforms,” explained Solomon Hykes, Founder, CTO and Chief Product Officer for Docker in a press release statement. “These integrated software packages are designed to remove an additional layer of ‘dependency hell’ for Mac and Windows developers by allowing them to develop directly inside a container.”
Screenshot of native Docker for Mac app.
I spoke with Patrick Chanezon, Chief Developer Advocate for Docker. He told me how and why Docker took advantage of the native virtualization capabilities in each operating system. Docker for Windows leverages the Microsoft Hyper-V virtualization, and Docker for Mac uses the Apple Hypervisor. Using the built-in virtualization enables Docker to integrate host-native features like networking, file systems, and security capabilities.
Both Docker for Windows and Docker for Mac come bundled with everything they need to run. There are no outside dependencies. The bundles include tools like Docker Compose and Notary tools to streamline installation and improve performance and user experience. With the Windows and Mac versions, developers will not need to run third-party software like VirtualBox.
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