Apple's containerization framework is an open-source system for running Linux containers as lightweight virtual machines (VMs) directly on macOS, specifically optimized for Apple Silicon. It was announced at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2025.
The framework, written in Swift, enables developers to create and run Linux containers on Macs without relying on third-party tools like Docker or Podman.
Each Linux container runs inside its own lightweight VM, rather than sharing a single VM for multiple containers. This approach provides stronger isolation and security, as each container has the same level of isolation as a standalone VM.
The framework includes a custom init system called
vminitd, also written in Swift, which handles process launching, filesystem mounting, and host-container communication within each VM.Apple also released a command-line tool,
container, which offers Docker-like commands for managing images and running containers.Optimized for Apple Silicon: The framework is designed for Macs with Apple Silicon, using the
Virtualization.frameworkfor VM management.Containers are OCI-compliant, ensuring compatibility with standard container images and registries.
Apple provides an optimized Linux kernel configuration for fast startup and lightweight operation, with the ability to use custom kernels per container.
References
Apple’s container repository: https://github.com/apple/container
List of microVM solutions: https://github.com/infracloudio/awesome-microvm
