Davit: Native macOS UI for Apple Containers
Original: Show HN: Davit, a Apple Containers UI
Why This Matters
Davit lowers the barrier to Apple-native containerization by offering a polished, no-cost alternative to Docker Desktop on Apple silicon.
Davit is a free, open-source, MIT-licensed native macOS app built in SwiftUI that provides a graphical interface for Apple's container platform, allowing users to run Linux containers on Apple silicon without Docker Desktop. It requires macOS 15 or later on Apple silicon hardware.
Davit is a fully native macOS application that serves as a GUI front-end for Apple's open-source container daemon. Built entirely in SwiftUI, it communicates directly with the container daemon over XPC — the same protocol used by the command-line interface — with no Electron, web views, or background agents involved. Key features include container management (start, stop, restart, delete) with live CPU, memory, and IP stats updated every 2 seconds; streaming log viewer; one-click terminal access via Terminal or iTerm; in-container file browsing with upload/download/delete capabilities; image pulling with live progress; volume and network management; and registry login support for Docker Hub, ghcr.io, quay.io, and private registries, with credentials stored in the macOS login keychain. Davit can also automatically install Apple's container platform on first launch without requiring administrator privileges. Platform settings such as default CPU/memory, DNS, and builder resources are editable within the app and saved as TOML overrides. The app is available as a signed and notarized download from GitHub Releases or via Homebrew (`brew install wouterdebie/tap/davit`). Unlike Docker Desktop, each container runs in its own lightweight VM using Apple's Virtualization framework, enabling sub-second boot times and per-container IP addresses optimized for Apple silicon.