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What's new ​

Download the latest version

v1.1.0 (Nov 16) ​

✨ Please spread the word if you like OrbStack!

📕 Read the blog post

  • Automatic HTTPS for containers & services
    • Secure, zero-setup HTTPS for all domains
  • Better x86 performance on macOS 14.1+
  • Copyable port numbers in container info
  • Machines can now be started from the menu bar
  • Better credential store coexistence with Docker Desktop
  • Fixed DNS memory leak in some error cases
  • Fixed crash when switching tabs quickly
  • Fixed VS Code not connecting in new Alma machines
  • Updates: Docker 24.0.7, Linux 6.5.10, Ubuntu 23.10, Fedora 39, Debian 13 (testing)
  • Other bug fixes and improvements

v1.0.1 (Oct 12) ​

  • Fixed x86 programs crashing on macOS 14 Sonoma
    • Workaround for Apple bug
  • Remaining Pro (commercial) trial days are now shown in the app
  • Separate UI sections for in-use/unused/dangling images
  • Support for opening Warp terminal
  • Support for GENEVE tunnels
  • NAT traversal fixes for Tailscale
  • More reliable traceroute
  • Fixed migration getting stuck and failing on some containers
  • Fixed OrbStack app preventing shutdown/restart
  • Fixed uppercase domain names not working
  • Fixed some memory leaks
  • Updates: Compose 2.22.0, Linux 6.5.7
  • Other bug fixes and improvements

🎉 v1.0 (Sep 21) ​

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 occasionally 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) ​

🚀 Announcing 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

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