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Docker Installation and AlmaLinux9 Container Setup on macOS (Apple Silicon)

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to install Docker Desktop on macOS devices equipped with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, etc.) and to set up a reproducible containerized environment using AlmaLinux9.

1. Installing Docker on macOS (Apple Silicon)

Prerequisites

  • A Mac with an Apple Silicon chip (M1, M2, etc.)
  • macOS (the latest version is always recommended)
  • An active Internet connection

Installation Steps

Do you have Rosetta installed?

Before we get into the Docker installation, make sure you have Rosetta installed on your machine.

To check whether Rosetta is installed, open a terminal and run:

lsbom -f /Library/Apple/System/Library/Receipts/com.apple.pkg.RosettaUpdateAuto.bom

You should see at least three files listed as output. If not, it is likely that Rosetta is not installed. Then, install Rosetta with:

softwareupdate --install-rosetta

Info

Rosetta 2 is Apple's dynamic binary translator that enables applications compiled for Intel’s x86_64 architecture to run on Apple Silicon (arm64) devices. While Docker Desktop is largely available as a native ARM application on these systems, some components—such as certain command-line utilities or legacy container images—may still be provided only in x86_64 format (e.g., amd64). Installing Rosetta 2 ensures that these non-native binaries are automatically translated and executed correctly, thereby maintaining full compatibility and ensuring a smooth installation and operational experience on your Mac.

  1. Download Docker Desktop

  2. Install Docker Desktop

    • Open the downloaded .dmg file.
    • Drag the Docker.app icon into the Applications folder.
    • Launch Docker Desktop from the Applications folder.
    • Follow the on-screen instructions and accept the license agreement.

  3. Verify the Installation

    • With the Docker Desktop app running, open the Terminal and run:

      docker --version

    • You should see output indicating the Docker version installed:

      Client:
    Version:           27.5.1
    API version:       1.47
    Go version:        go1.22.11
    Git commit:        9f9e405
    Built:             Wed Jan 22 13:37:19 2025
    OS/Arch:           darwin/arm64
    Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.38.0 (181591)
    Engine:
    Version:          27.5.1
    API version:      1.47 (minimum version 1.24)
    Go version:       go1.22.11
    Git commit:       4c9b3b0
    Built:            Wed Jan 22 13:41:25 2025
    OS/Arch:          linux/arm64
    Experimental:     false
    containerd:
    Version:          1.7.25
    GitCommit:        bcc810d6b9066471b0b6fa75f557a15a1cbf31bb
    runc:
    Version:          1.1.12
    GitCommit:        v1.1.12-0-g51d5e946
    docker-init:
    Version:          0.19.0
    GitCommit:        de40ad0

2. Starting with AlmaLinux9

AlmaLinux9 is available as a pre-built image on Docker Hub. You can quickly begin using it by pulling the image and running a container interactively.

Step 1: Pull the AlmaLinux image

To pull the AlmaLinux9 image from Docker Hub, open your Terminal and execute the following command:

docker pull almalinux:9

The output you should get is:

9: Pulling from library/almalinux
5286574881d2: Pull complete 
Digest: sha256:6d78b43b103e7ca90c43a790e73bdd421cec5ae0269b6051ef6836f4070b7476
Status: Downloaded newer image for almalinux:9
docker.io/library/almalinux:9

Step 2: Run an Interactive Container

Once the image is available locally, start a new container by running:

docker run -it almalinux:9 /bin/bash

  • Flags:

    • -i (interactive): Keeps the standard input open, allowing you to interact with the container.
    • -t (tty): Allocates a pseudo-terminal, so you receive a shell prompt.

  • Command Override:

    • The command /bin/bash is passed to override the default command in the image, so you are dropped directly into a bash shell.

Step 3: Verify Your Container Environment

Within the container, you can verify the operating system by running:

cat /etc/os-release

This command displays details about the AlmaLinux distribution, confirming that you are running AlmaLinux9.

For example:

NAME="AlmaLinux"
VERSION="9.5 (Teal Serval)"
ID="almalinux"
ID_LIKE="rhel centos fedora"
VERSION_ID="9.5"
PLATFORM_ID="platform:el9"
PRETTY_NAME="AlmaLinux 9.5 (Teal Serval)"
ANSI_COLOR="0;34"
LOGO="fedora-logo-icon"
CPE_NAME="cpe:/o:almalinux:almalinux:9::baseos"
HOME_URL="https://almalinux.org/"
DOCUMENTATION_URL="https://wiki.almalinux.org/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.almalinux.org/"

ALMALINUX_MANTISBT_PROJECT="AlmaLinux-9"
ALMALINUX_MANTISBT_PROJECT_VERSION="9.5"
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT="AlmaLinux"
REDHAT_SUPPORT_PRODUCT_VERSION="9.5"
SUPPORT_END=2032-06-01

Step 4: Exit the Container

When you are finished working inside an interactive container, you can exit the container gracefully.

At the bash prompt inside the container, simply type:

exit

Then press Enter. This command terminates the shell session, which in turn stops the container.

Alternatively, you can press control+D on your keyboard. This shortcut sends an end-of-file (EOF) signal, which also terminates the interactive shell session.

Tip

If you want to keep the container running without terminating it, you can detach by pressing Ctrl+P followed by Ctrl+Q. To reattach later, run: docker attach <container_id_or_name> or use docker exec -it <container_id_or_name> /bin/bash if you simply want a new shell in a running container.