What's new ​

🎉 v1.0 (Sep 21) ​

✨ Please spread the word if you like OrbStack!

OrbStack 1.0 is here ​

It's the long-awaited release! See the blog post

Licenses are now required for freelance, business, and commercial use.

Other changes since beta ​

• Default update channel is now Stable
• For faster updates, opt in to Canary in Settings
• Better handling of domain name conflicts
• Fixed service occassionally getting stuck while stopping
• Fixed shared volumes disappearing in rare cases
• Compatibility fix for IBM DB2
• Other bug fixes and improvements

Hotfix 16230 ​

• Fixed issues with accounts and licenses when updating from beta

v0.17.3 (Sep 13) ​

• Fixed GUI getting stuck on "Loading" in some cases
• Fixed Rosetta installation on new Macs
• Fixed crash on start when disk is almost full
• Higher maximum memory limit on high-RAM Macs
• Faster startup with lower CPU usage
• Updates: Linux 6.4.16
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.17.2 (Sep 11) ​

• Faster and more stable UI
• Filter Compose project logs to a set of services
• Start containers & projects from the menu bar
• Simple switch to start and stop Kubernetes
• More menu bar features & actions
• Slightly lower memory usage
• More reliable updating and restarting
• Fixed domains not working in some cases
• Fixed some web frameworks not reloading on file changes
• Fixed rare freezes under high I/O
• Fixed occasional UI crashes
• Updates: Docker Engine 24.0.6, Linux 6.4.15
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.17.1 (Aug 31) ​

• One-click button to open Kubernetes services in browser
• Faster start/stop/delete actions in GUI
• Fixed port forwarding issues
• Potential stability improvements under high I/O
• Support for CAN bus (SocketCAN and virtual CAN)
• Support for IPVLAN and IPIP tunnels
• Support for bind-mounting /opt/homebrew
• Updates: Compose 2.21.0, Linux 6.4.13
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.17.0 (Aug 29) ​

• First-class Kubernetes support
  • Seamless network: Connect to pods, ClusterIPs, Ingress directly
  • Battery friendly: Up to 80% less power usage
  • Native macOS UI
• More reliable container domains
• More efficient container port forwards (up to 30% less CPU)
• General system performance improvements
• Security improvements against malicious machines
• FIPS support for builtin SSH server (ECDSA and RSA)
• Fixed container logs UI on macOS 12
• Updates: Linux 6.4.11, Devuan 5
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.16.1 (Aug 17) ​

• Direct access to container image files from Mac
  • Explore Docker images with Finder and other tools
• Helper tool to avoid asking for password more than once
• Better port detection for container domains
• Option to stop requesting admin privileges
• Offline licensing support for up to 7 days
• Fixed some self-signed certificates not being trusted
• Fixed new machines not showing up in /mnt/machines
• Rosetta bug fixes
• Updates: Linux 6.4.10
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.16.0 (Aug 10) ​

• Automatic domain names for containers
  • Zero config, no port numbers needed
  • Support for custom domains and wildcards
• New logs UI with search and tabs for Compose projects
• Added button to reset data from settings UI
• Better network compatibility
• Fixed segfaults in some emulated x86 builds
• Fixed migration for some x86 containers and images
• Fixes for build cache cleaning and SSH agent forwarding
• Fixed emulated Arch Linux machine creation
• Support for mounting localtime in containers
• Updates: Linux 6.4.8
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.15.1 (July 30) ​

• Automatic deletion of unused build cache (can save 200+ GB)
• Faster Docker shutdown and machine deletion
• More reliable file watcher & live reload support
• Minor performance improvements for some workloads
• Added option to leave Docker context unchanged
• Support for emulating AVX (when Rosetta is off)
• Fixed migration from older versions of Docker Desktop
• Fixed modprobe errors (for Istio, K3s, etc.)
• Fixed rare storage-related startup errors
• Fixed freezes under some heavy UDP workloads
• Fixed compressed executables failing under Rosetta
• Updates: Docker 24.0.5, Linux 6.4.7
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.15.0 (July 23) ​

• Automatic data migration from Docker Desktop (containers, etc.)
• Send feedback from the app
• Simplified bug reporting
• More reliable port forwarding
• Better support for proxy exclusions (domains, IP subnets)
• Fixed PHP segfaults under Rosetta
• Fixed timeouts when accessing Docker volumes from Mac
• Fixed occasional crashes when running Chromium
• Fixed Alpine and Void creation with unusual usernames/UIDs
• UI fixes, design tweaks, silent notifications
• Updates: Debian 12, Compose 2.20.2, Linux 6.3.13
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.14.1 (July 12) ​

• Fixed Docker not starting if updating with too many Compose networks
• Fixed stability issues and file sharing crashes
• Fixed repeated admin prompts on new Macs
• Fixed hostname in new Ubuntu machines
• Fixed "Operation not permitted" on bind-mounted devices
• Fixed missing HOME environment for non-existent container UIDs
• NixOS builder support for x86_64 on Apple Silicon

v0.14.0 (July 10) ​

All about performance and power saving.

• Faster bind mounts with caching and optimizations
  • 3x faster search, 20x faster git status
• 2x faster container start/stop
• Lower energy usage when running heavy services and containers (up to 10x)
• Fixed Node.js programs (e.g. pnpm) freezing under Rosetta
• Better performance when macOS host is under load
• Faster builds for Dockerfiles with many steps
• Support for running 32-bit ARM programs
• Support for renaming machines
• Changed IP ranges to minimize conflicts
• Fixes for bind mounts and other I/O
• Updates: Docker 24.0.4, Compose 2.19.1, Linux 6.3.12
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.13.0 (June 25) ​

A renewed focus on performance and stability.

• Faster app start/stop and updating (up to 5x)
• 2x faster container start/stop
• Fixed most common Rosetta bugs
  • If you've disabled it, turn it back on to run x86 containers faster
• Standard Docker IP ranges for compatibility (fixed SSL/authentication issues)
• Better handling of IP conflicts with VPNs
• Support for moving data to external drive
• More reliable setup process
• More resilient to power loss
• Out-of-memory notifications
• Support for running full x86 Docker engine with Rosetta
• Fixed some complex Docker Compose setups getting stuck
• Updates: Linux 6.3.9, Docker Compose 2.19.0
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.12.0 (June 16) ​

• Connect to Docker containers directly by IP address
  • Seamless bridge networks, no port forwarding needed
• Connect to Linux machines by IP address (bridge network)
• Log viewer improvements
• Support for all CPU cores on M2 Ultra
• Better UI performance with many containers/volumes/images
• Fixed port forwards failing after Docker or machine restart
• Fixed crashes after customizing toolbar
• Updates: Linux 6.3.8, Docker 24.0.2, buildx 0.11.0, openSUSE 15.5
• Bug fixes and other improvements

v0.11.3 (June 7) ​

• Support for macOS 14 Sonoma Developer Beta (fixed crash)
• SSH server: Support for adding authorized keys
• Support for legacy docker.for.mac.localhost host
• Updates: Linux 6.3.6, NixOS 23.05, Alpine Linux 3.18
• Bug fixes and other improvements

v0.11.2 (June 1) ​

• Added openEuler distro for machines
• Added support for custom Docker hosts (e.g. port 2375)
• Fixed excessive service restarts and updates
• Fixed disabled "Apply" button in settings
• Other bug fixes

v0.11.1 (May 29) ​

• Menu bar status indicators for Compose services
• Support for running commands in shell with -s
• Better handling of out-of-memory scenarios
• Fixed file watching on advanced volume-style bind mounts
• Fixed occasional permission issues on write-intensive mounts
• Fixed occasional AOSP build failures
• Menu bar & updater fixes
• Updates: Linux 6.3.4
• Bug fixes and other improvements

v0.11.0 (May 23) ​

• Menu bar app with quick actions
  • Manage containers & machines from anywhere
• Hide icon from Dock
• Discord community for feedback & help
• Redesigned onboarding for new users
• Better Docker UI design and usability
• Simpler background service management
• Updates: Docker Compose 2.18.1, buildx 0.10.5, Linux 6.1.29
• Bug fixes and other improvements

v0.10.2 (May 15) ​

• Fixed IPv6 UDP port forwarding
• Fixed UDP servers in Docker host networking mode
• Fixed UDP flows stopping after long periods of inactivity
• Fixed GUI actions for invalid Docker Compose projects

v0.10.1 (May 10) ​

• Distro version picker UI for Linux machines
• Docker Compose projects are now shown above other containers
• Better errors in Docker UI
• Faster loading of long container log history
• Fixed actions for deleted Compose projects
• Fixed filtering for only running containers
• Updates: Docker 23.0.6
• Bug fixes and other UI improvements

v0.10.0 (May 7) ​

Even more GUI features!

• Docker container logs
• Docker Compose project groups in UI
• Batch actions (multi-select) for containers, images, and volumes
• Skip confirmation with Option-click
• Distro updates: Ubuntu 23.04, Fedora 38
• Bug fixes and other UI improvements

v0.9.0 (May 4) ​

Lots of work on the GUI app this time, with more to come!

• Docker image management UI
• Docker container, image, and volume search
• Docker volume sizes and creation dates
• Streamlined Docker container menus
• Added option to hide "OrbStack" volume from Finder
• Lower CPU usage after deleting a lot of files
• Fixed system-wide HTTPS proxy support
• Fixed delayed Docker UI updates in some cases
• Bug fixes and other UI improvements

v0.8.1 (May 1) ​

• New Docker config GUI
• Live refresh for Docker GUI
• Disabled Docker IPv6 by default for compatibility
• Fixed permission errors when writing many small files as non-root users
• Fixed occasional false-positive file watch creation events
• Updates: Docker 23.0.5, Linux 6.1.27

v0.8.0 (Apr 26) ​

• File watching & live reload support for Docker bind mounts
• Faster network and better compatibility (up to 48 Gbps on M1)
• Support for emulated arm64 Docker containers on Intel
• Opt-in environment variable forwarding for machines
• Support for Docker Swarm and Kubernetes IPVS
• Fixed occasional "Failed to start VM" errors in UI
• Fixed systemd distros in emulated Intel machines on macOS 12
• Updates: Docker 23.0.4, Linux 6.1.26
• Bug fixes and improvements

v0.7.2 (Apr 19) ​

• Fixed Docker UDP port forwarding for reply packets
• Don't change shell profile if PATH is already set correctly

v0.7.0, v0.7.1 (Apr 17) ​

• Minor file sharing performance improvements for small files
• 2-way localhost integration in Docker host networking mode
• Faster Docker and machine shutdown
• binfmt support for running macOS executables directly from Linux
• Fixed load testing with many concurrent connections at once
• Fixed Docker bind mounts in $TMPDIR
• Fixed compatibility issues with ufw
• Bug fixes and improvements

v0.7.1 is a stability hotfix for v0.7.0.

v0.6.2 (Apr 8) ​

• Full support for eBPF tracing (bcc, bpftrace, etc.)
• 20% faster startup
• Slightly lower background CPU usage
• Fixed custom Docker 20.10 instances with privileged containers

v0.6.1 (Apr 7) ​

• Docker & Linux will now use the macOS certificate store
  • Includes self-signed CA certificates and Docker certs.d
• Added support for disabling automatic proxy
• Added support for Istio (Kubernetes service mesh)
• Added syscall tracepoints and tracefs
• Improved startup reliability
• Fixed issues with localhost HTTP(S)_PROXY environment from macOS
• Updates: Docker 23.0.3, Linux 6.1.23
• Bug fixes and improvements

v0.6.0 (Apr 3) ​

• Automatic HTTP/HTTPS/SOCKS proxy for Docker and Linux traffic
• Added support for editing Docker engine config
• Added support for limiting CPU usage
• Added orb logs command to view Docker and machine logs
• Fixed access to Docker volumes with strict permissions
• Fixed host-gateway as extra host
• Fixed unexpected shutdowns when using a proxy
• Smoother uninstall flow
• Updates: Linux 6.1.22
• Bug fixes and improvements

v0.5.2 (Mar 29) ​

• Fixed most "Failed to get machines" errors (complete fix in progress)
• Docker: Fixed localhost issues with IPv4-only servers
• Linux: Fixed passwordless sudo for usernames containing periods
• Linux: Fixed missing macOS tools in PATH with some non-default shells
• Removed lnx and lnxctl command aliases
• Stricter permissions on ~/OrbStack
• Updates: Docker 23.0.2
• Bug fixes and improvements

Interim release with lots of small bug fixes. More work to improve GUI reliability and usability is in progress.

v0.5.1 (Mar 26) ​

🚀 Annoucing public beta!

• More reliable machine creation and management
• Breaking change: Moved SSH server to port 32222 to avoid conflicts
• Docker Desktop CLI tools will now be replaced during setup
• Added support for keeping Docker disabled
• Better behavior when there's no network connection
• Fixed setup with some shells and Active Directory environments
• Updates: Linux 6.1.21, Docker Compose 2.17.2
• Bug fixes and improvements

v0.5.0 (Mar 20) ​

• Full-blown Docker GUI
• Breaking change: Moved Docker & Linux mounts to ~/OrbStack for clarity
• Added support for Cilium and eBPF development
• Added support for systemd user services
• Added 32-bit x86 emulation on Apple Silicon
• Starting Linux shells is now significantly faster
• Updated to Linux 6.1.20
• Bug fixes

v0.4.0 (Mar 15) ​

• All-new comprehensive documentation, hot off the press
• Added docker.internal for connecting to Docker from Linux machines
• Finished dynamic disk size implementation (now reflected in df)
• Changed IPv6 subnet to better comply with RFC
• Improved uninstall flow
• Updated to Linux 6.1.19
• Added support for AF_XDP sockets
• UI tweaks
• Bug fixes

v0.3.1 (Mar 9) ​

• Added examples for getting started with Docker
• Added slower fallback for Rosetta on macOS 12
• Fixed empty window when re-opening app with collapsed sidebar
• Fixed Docker bind mounts under /tmp
• Fixed WebAssembly segfaults on 2020 Intel Macs
• Other bug fixes

v0.3.0 (Mar 5) ​

• Major stability and reliability improvements
• Linux and Docker data now appears under “OrbStack” in Finder
• Significantly faster networking in Docker containers
• Updated to Linux 6.1.15
• Added restart command
• Fixed occasional "VM did not start" errors on first launch
• Other bug fixes and improvements

v0.2.1 (Feb 28) ​

• Fixed machine creation with RHEL-based distros
• Fixed command-line tool setup with iTerm shell integration
• Workaround for rare errors on initial launch
• Reorganized app menus
• Other bug fixes

v0.2.0 (Feb 27) ​

• Added support for NixOS machines
• Fixed /Users/<user>/OrbStack access from within Linux machines
• Fixed Docker potentially not starting again after disabling it in the app
• Fixed potential issues with custom Docker instances in Linux machines
• Faster machine creation for some distros
• Other bug fixes

v0.1.9 (Feb 25) ​

• Many stability improvements and bug fixes
• Added host.docker.internal and other domains for compatibility with Docker Desktop
• Added compatibility with Docker Desktop’s SSH agent forwarding
• Workaround for macOS bug: “(null) is not allowed to open documents in Terminal”
• Fixed mDNS and .local domains in distros that use systemd-resolved

v0.1.8 (Feb 23) ​

• Added Docker buildx for extra BuildKit features
• Added support for IPv6 in Docker containers
• Added release notes
• Updated to Linux 6.1.13
• New settings UI
• Fixed compatibility issues with Earthly
• Fixed SSH access with read-only SSH configs
• Other bug fixes

v0.1.7 (Feb 22) ​

OrbStack is now fully built with itself, including the Linux parts! 🎉

• Added support for mounting VM disk images
• Improved SSH key handling when no agent is in use
• Fixed config permissions in new machines
• Other bug fixes

v0.1.6 (Feb 21) ​

• Improved appearance of notifications sent from Linux
• Added support for command-line tool setup without UI
• Fixed notifications on macOS 12
• Fixed handling of large ICMP packets
• Other bug fixes