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Container: Apple's Linux-Container Runtime
- jzelinskie 1y agoContainer runs OCI (docker) compatible by creating lightweight VMs. This repository houses the command-line interface which is powered by containerization[0], the Swift framework wrapping Virtualization.framework to implement an OCI runtime. [0]: https://github.com/apple/containerization https://github.com/apple/containerization
- ok_computer 1y agoI am going to show my ineptitude by admitting this, for the life of me I couldn’t get around to implement the Mac Os native way to run linux VMs and used vm-ware fusion instead. [0] I’m glad this more accessible package is available vs docker desktop on mac os or the aforementioned, likely to be abandoned vmware non enterprise license. [0] [apple virtualization docs](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/virtualization/creating-and-running-a-linux-virtual-machine https://developer.apple.com/documentation/virtualization/cre...)
- mrpippy 1y agoVMware Fusion is a perfectly good way of running VMs, and IMO has a better and more native UI than any other solution (Parallels, UTM, etc)
- stephenr 1y agoThis is a weird take to me. VMWare Fusion very much feels like a cheap one-time port of VMWare Workstation to macOS. On a modern macOS it stands out very clearly with numerous elements that are reminiscent of the Aqua days: icon styles, the tabs-within-tabs structure, etc. Fusion also has had some pretty horrific bugs related to guest networking causing indefinite hangs in the VM(s) at startup. Parallels isn't always perfect sailing but put it this way: I have had a paid license for both (and VBox installed), for many years to build vagrant images, but when it comes to actually running a VM for purposes other than building an image, I almost exclusively turn to Parallels.
- close04 1y ago> reminiscent of the Aqua days Maybe early Aqua. We're still in the Aqua days, if you don't count yesterday's Liquid Glass announcement. :)
- cpuguy83 1y agoNot on Apple Silicon it's not. In the Intel days, sure it was great.
- mickelsen 1y agoI still can run the latest ARM Fedora Workstation on Apple Silicon with Fusion, and similar distros straight from the ISO without having to tweak stuff around or having problems with 3D acceleration, unlike UTM.
- kefirlife 1y agoLima makes this really straightforward and supports vz virtualization. I particularly like that you can run x86 containers through rosetta2 via those Linux VMs with nerdctl. If you want to implement it yourself of course you can, but I appreciate the work from this project so far and have used it for a couple of years. https://lima-vm.io/ https://lima-vm.io/
- pdimitar 1y agoAnd you also have `colima`[0] on top of it that makes working with Docker on the command-line a seamless experience. [0] https://github.com/abiosoft/colima https://github.com/abiosoft/colima
- wmf 1y agoShould probably merge with https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44229348 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44229348
- OJFord 1y agoI disagree, they are different, and that (containerization, not container here) is the more novel/interesting one imo. It'd be nice to focus the discussion more (though at present there are many confused comments there that think they're discussing the container tool).
- n42 1y agoOh, like OP I didn’t see the difference. I believe the difference is: Container is a CLI tool Containerization is a framework
- OJFord 1y agoYes, container is like `docker` CLI: 'I am a developer and I want to run a container'; containerization is for packaging OCI image container sidecars into Swift .apps - you could distribute your app with postgres 'built in' (but running as a container), user doesn't need to ensure it's installed and running separately or anything.
- dang 1y agoWhoops, I merged them but you've persuaded me to unmerge them. This will take a bit of time. Edit: reverted!
- 90s_dev 1y agoHow actually is Swift as a Rust alternative? Is it feasible? The only gripe I remember with it is that all its APIs are weird. Like instead of normal names, you have Apple-legacy-names for methods/classes.
- EPWN3D 1y agoDepends on what you're doing. If you want to write systems code, Swift is very allocation-happy and will probably not be the best fit. They're trying to make an embedded Swift, but progress is pretty slow, since that's not going to be something that gets anyone promoted. If you just want to write A Thing, then it's up to your individual taste, what's available in the ecosystem, etc.
- dwaite 1y agoApple has started using Swift for production embedded code run within the Secure Enclave. I've been looking out for any evidence whether they are using it in the C1 modem baseband. I don't think I'd push for it over Rust for those applications, but there is apparently wood behind the arrow internally.
- waterTanuki 1y agomuch of the new swift libraries/apis don't have the legacy "NS" prefixes you're thinking of
- tcmart14 1y agoI can't speak to performance since I don't really race languages. But as far as feel and what not, it is very similar. But there is also a pretty good overlap in people who worked on Rust and people who worked in Swift. Graydon worked on both. So Swift has a lot of similarities with Rust. The way I usually word it is, Swift is like having C# with mostly everything you like about Rust. I believe a lot of the legacy names come from when your interfacing with platform APIs like UIKit and such if you have to and they haven't quiet gotten a bump from their Objective-C APIs to have more swifty-APIs.
- written-beyond 1y ago
- sverhagen 1y agoIs it smart to call the implementation after the category, or am I misunderstanding what is going on? Surely they won't be able to trademark this?
- wmf 1y agoIt's not a product; it's a command line tool that's (more or less) part of the OS. It doesn't need a fancy name.
- precompute 1y agoYou're right, it's an incredibly pyrrhic decisions that aims to wrestle the meaning of the word towards apple's implementation. I mean, the company is named "apple". This kind of raze-a-language marketing is in their DNA.
- slroger 1y agoI was wondering the same thing
- yencabulator 1y agoApple has a track record of doing that: product names that are only unique if you keep repeating the "Apple" prefix. Apple Card Apple Pay Apple Music Apple TV Apple Watch App Store (trying to namesquat this is just evil, so it's "Apple App Store" for me) Hence, I recommend you call it "Apple Container", and "Apple Containerization".
- juliendorra 1y agoMicrosoft did it too with Windows and Words (supposedly after a very messy trademark dispute around excel? If I remember well?). This avoids trademark dispute on names (as you can’t trademark generic name alone) and is an effective way for very recognizable brands to extend their branding without adding too much confusion
- dang 1y agoRelated ongoing threads: Containerization is a Swift package for running Linux containers on macOS - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44229348 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44229348 - June 2025 (158 comments) Apple announces Foundation Models and Containerization frameworks, etc - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44226978 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44226978 - June 2025 (346 comments) (Normally we'd merge them but it seems there are significant if subtle differences between these)
- spockz 1y agoCross posting in the right place instead of the other thread: At first I thought this sounded like a blend of the virtualisation framework with a firecracker style lightweight kernel. This project had its own kernel, but it also seems to be able to use the firecracker one. I wonder what the advantages are. Even smaller? Making use of some apple silicon properties? Has anyone tried it already and is it fast? Compared to podman on Linux or Docker Desktop for Mac?
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- punnerud 1y agoDoes this enable running containers next apps to iOS and MacOS downloaded from AppStore?
- gardaani 1y agoI have been using lima to run Linux VMs on macOS. This new Apple tool looks very similar and I might replace lima with it.
- rcarmo 1y agoNot for iPadOS, alas.
- znpy 1y agowell of course, the ipad is not a computer (despite what the marketing says)
- zarazas 1y agoWill it be possible to integrate this with docker, so docker containers on Mac run more performance optimized?
- anaisbetts 1y ago[flagged]
- stingraycharles 1y agoThis comment doesn’t seem very substantive. Care to elaborate why exactly this is such a bad implementation of containers? Seems like a more secure implementation than Docker Engine, and if - as I pressure - memory management is automatic, then it will be pretty great to use.
- creshal 1y ago> and if - as I pressure [presume?] - memory management is automatic Why would it be? Nothing in the Linux kernel properly supports that on a VM level (ballooning only goes in one direction, and even that only on a good day), and if Apple had managed to solve that particular Gordian knot they would've told people.
- stingraycharles 1y agoIsn’t memory management somewhat automatic on WSL2? Isn’t that the same problem?
- creshal 1y agoI've yet to see it actually work reliably, but YMMV. Either way there doesn't seem to be any indication of a similar feature attempt for Apple's runtime - since containers are meant to be restarted regularly, they might just not bother with wasting time on that feature.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- slroger 1y agoI just need this to get a GUI and it will be close to perfect.