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I don't understand the need for Docker Desktop. When you install the docker-ce package, you get the docker client CLI and dockerd daemon managed as a systemd se

I don't understand the need for Docker Desktop. When you install the docker-ce package, you get the docker client CLI and dockerd daemon managed as a systemd service. I have never seen anyone build or run images outside of the CLI. Why are people paying for a GUI wrapper?

vbezhenar 3y ago
Docker desktop creates and manages Linux VM with docker engine inside. It also does some magic to allow mounting host directories inside containers. I've yet to reproduce that magic, TBH. It's obviously important for macOS, because macOS does not support docker containers. While Windows supports docker containers, most docker containers are built for Linux, so Docker Desktop is important for Windows as well. Now for Linux you can run docker engine on the host, if you're proficient with Linux. However some people use Docker Desktop on Linux as well. I could imagine that you can run very old host Linux this way. I, personally, avoid docker desktop on macOS. Right now I'm using remote Linux VM and in the future I'll use Linux in VM, configured manually. However I've yet to find out how to mount host directories inside that VM containers. Some magic.
jamesfinlayson 3y ago
On Windows and Mac, Docker Desktop is the only way to install Docker. If you work for a big company that isn't using Linux then you need to pay just to use Docker.
- seanhunter 3y ago
  I've used docker on windows a lot and it never even occurred to me to install Docker Desktop. I just use normal docker inside of WSL since that's where I do all my actual work when I have to use windows. It pretty much works exactly like Linux from what I recall although I can't test it now because my windows machine is broken.
benjaminwootton 3y ago
Mainly Windows users, followed by OSX I suspect.
- lolinder 3y ago
  It's actually more important on OSX because there is no equivalent of WSL.
  - paradox460 3y ago
    Lima and colima fill the gap nicely
dagw 3y ago
Docker Desktop takes care of all the annoying config work needed to make Docker work on Windows, including managing virtual machine engines, configuring the windows firewall and the necessary magic to mount local drives in containers. Using Docker on Windows without Docker Desktop is a massive PITA.
- Ajedi32 3y ago
  It's trivial in WSL, but debatable whether you can really call that "on Windows".
  - cogman10 3y ago
    Docker desktop is essentially just a GUI on a WSL2 vm image at this point.
pjmlp 3y ago
Because people on Windows like GUIs instead of being stuck on MS-DOS like experience?
- msm_ 3y ago
  And people on Linux like CLIs instead of being stuck on Win95 like experience.
  - pjmlp 3y ago
    Actually they are frozen on 1970's Bell Labs world, without realising how the world has progressed.
    - msm_ 3y ago
      I think we just have to agree to disagree. My point was, modern Windows is nothing like Windows 95, just like modern command line experience is nothing like MS-DOS (as you seem to imply). Given a choice I strongly prefer command line for most tasks. Reducing my preference to ignorance rubs me in a wrong way.
      - pjmlp 3y ago
        Having been there when there was no other option, yes I pretty much consider some people prefer to be stuck in the past of green and amber phosphor terminals, like admiring the golden age of punch cards with diagonal red lines to avoid losing the deck order.
    - LeFantome 3y ago
      I love seeing this comment in a thread about OCI containers ( a deeply Linux technology ). This whole discussion is about the abstraction that people hav to use on Windows to make it work. When you want to talk about how the world has progressed, I guess you do not mean Kubernetes or Docker. Give me an example of how Windows has changed the world in the last 30 years.
      - 3y ago

vbezhenar 3y ago

Docker desktop creates and manages Linux VM with docker engine inside. It also does some magic to allow mounting host directories inside containers. I've yet to reproduce that magic, TBH. It's obviously important for macOS, because macOS does not support docker containers. While Windows supports docker containers, most docker containers are built for Linux, so Docker Desktop is important for Windows as well. Now for Linux you can run docker engine on the host, if you're proficient with Linux. However some people use Docker Desktop on Linux as well. I could imagine that you can run very old host Linux this way. I, personally, avoid docker desktop on macOS. Right now I'm using remote Linux VM and in the future I'll use Linux in VM, configured manually. However I've yet to find out how to mount host directories inside that VM containers. Some magic.

jamesfinlayson 3y ago

On Windows and Mac, Docker Desktop is the only way to install Docker. If you work for a big company that isn't using Linux then you need to pay just to use Docker.

seanhunter 3y ago
I've used docker on windows a lot and it never even occurred to me to install Docker Desktop. I just use normal docker inside of WSL since that's where I do all my actual work when I have to use windows. It pretty much works exactly like Linux from what I recall although I can't test it now because my windows machine is broken.

benjaminwootton 3y ago

Mainly Windows users, followed by OSX I suspect.

lolinder 3y ago
It's actually more important on OSX because there is no equivalent of WSL.
- paradox460 3y ago
  Lima and colima fill the gap nicely

dagw 3y ago

Docker Desktop takes care of all the annoying config work needed to make Docker work on Windows, including managing virtual machine engines, configuring the windows firewall and the necessary magic to mount local drives in containers. Using Docker on Windows without Docker Desktop is a massive PITA.

Ajedi32 3y ago
It's trivial in WSL, but debatable whether you can really call that "on Windows".
- cogman10 3y ago
  Docker desktop is essentially just a GUI on a WSL2 vm image at this point.

pjmlp 3y ago

Because people on Windows like GUIs instead of being stuck on MS-DOS like experience?

msm_ 3y ago
And people on Linux like CLIs instead of being stuck on Win95 like experience.
- pjmlp 3y ago
  Actually they are frozen on 1970's Bell Labs world, without realising how the world has progressed.
  - msm_ 3y ago
    I think we just have to agree to disagree. My point was, modern Windows is nothing like Windows 95, just like modern command line experience is nothing like MS-DOS (as you seem to imply). Given a choice I strongly prefer command line for most tasks. Reducing my preference to ignorance rubs me in a wrong way.
    - pjmlp 3y ago
      Having been there when there was no other option, yes I pretty much consider some people prefer to be stuck in the past of green and amber phosphor terminals, like admiring the golden age of punch cards with diagonal red lines to avoid losing the deck order.
  - LeFantome 3y ago
    I love seeing this comment in a thread about OCI containers ( a deeply Linux technology ). This whole discussion is about the abstraction that people hav to use on Windows to make it work. When you want to talk about how the world has progressed, I guess you do not mean Kubernetes or Docker. Give me an example of how Windows has changed the world in the last 30 years.
    - 3y ago