Bye Bye Docker Desktop, Welcome Docker CLI

We are using docker desktop which has been licensed and this is really annoying for all developers. Good news is that, there is way to get rid of docker desktop and continue doing our great engineering work with docker CLI.

Here is the step by step guide to install Docker CLI on MAC -

Uninstall Docker Desktop

> brew uninstall docker

Also check Docker Desktop is removed from MAC as well. If not, delete the Docker desktop app from Applications folder.  

Install Hyperkit

> brew install hyperkit

If you are receiving any issue while installing hyperkit like below, it is because, sometime deletion of docker gives error, if it is not able to find the required folder. 

> Error: Permission denied @ apply2files - /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins

Lets fix this issue by creating the folder once and running cleanup command - 

> mkdir -p /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/Resources/cli-plugins

> brew cleanup

Try installing hyperkit again,

> brew install hyperkit

It should be installed without any issue now.

NOTE - for MAC M1/M2 - Hyperkit will not work so install qemu

> brew install qemu

Install Docker CLI

> brew install docker

This will install docker CLI but not docker deamon(dockerd). You may check it by running 'docker info' command.

> docker info

Client:

 Context:    default

 Debug Mode: false

Server:

ERROR: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?

Install Kubectl

> brew install kubectl

If its already installed, run

> brew reinstall kubectl

Install Minikube

> brew install minikube

If its already installed, run

> brew reinstall minikube

If you get below warning, run 'brew link minikube'

> Warning: minikube 1.24.0 is already installed, it's just not linked.

To link this version, run:

brew link minikube

> brew link minikube

If you still get any warning or exception like below, run 'brew link --overwrite minikube'

> Linking /usr/local/Cellar/minikube/1.24.0...

Error: Could not symlink bin/minikube

Target /usr/local/bin/minikube

already exists. You may want to remove it:

  rm '/usr/local/bin/minikube'

> brew link --overwrite minikube

Finally start the Kubernetes cluster -

With Hyperkit

> minikube start --driver=hyperkit --container-runtime=docker

With qemu

> minikube start --driver=qemu --container-runtime=docker

If you receive below error while running the command, run 'minikube delete' and start 'minikube start --kubernetes-version=v1.19.14 --driver=hyperkit --container-runtime=docker' again.

> minikube v1.24.0 on Darwin 11.6.2

❗  Deleting existing cluster minikube with different driver docker due to --delete-on-failure flag set by the user.

💢  Exiting due to GUEST_DRIVER_MISMATCH: The existing "minikube" cluster was created using the "docker" driver, which is incompatible with requested "hyperkit" driver.

💡  Suggestion: Delete the existing 'minikube' cluster using: 'minikube delete', or start the existing 'minikube' cluster using: 'minikube start --driver=docker'

> minikube delete

> minikube start --kubernetes-version=v1.19.14 --driver=hyperkit --container-runtime=docker

It may ask for password for sudo permissions, please provide and install required packages. 

Kubectl is configured now. 

Check 'docker info'

> docker info

Client:

 Context:    default

 Debug Mode: false

Server:

ERROR: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?

Set the environment variable(# Tell Docker CLI to talk to minikube's VM)

> eval $(minikube docker-env)

Now run 'docker info', it should start docker deamon - 

> docker info

Client:
Context:    default
Debug Mode: false
Server:
 Containers: 14
 Running: 14
 Paused: 0
 Stopped: 0
 Images: 10
 Server Version: 20.10.8
Now run 'docker info', it should start docker deamon - 

Happy coding!!