Why is Docker on macOS so Slow and How Can I Optimize Performance?

Troubleshooting Slow Docker Performance on macOS

Docker can significantly impact application performance when run on macOS. This issue arises because Docker requires a raw Linux kernel, which macOS lacks. Instead, macOS utilizes a client and an abstraction layer to facilitate Docker, resulting in slower performance.

Determining Execution Time Differences

To quantify the performance gap, consider the following time measurements for Symfony 4 execution on Docker version 18 on macOS Mojave:

• First-time rendering: 12000 ms
• With Symfony cache: 344 ms
• With Docker cache: 195 ms

In contrast, execution without Docker and with Symfony cache takes approximately 82 ms.

Optimizations for Improved Performance

While it's impossible to achieve the same performance as native Linux, certain optimizations can mitigate the slowdown:

• Utilize Docker volume caching: Mount volumes with the ":cached" option, such as:

  volumes:
        - .:/application:cached

Other considerations for improving Docker performance on macOS include:

• Use a specialized Docker management tool: Consider Docker for Mac or Parallels Desktop for streamlined Docker operation.
• Allocate more resources: Increase Docker's assigned CPU and memory to enhance performance.
• Consider using a lightweight distribution: Alpine or BusyBox-based Docker images consume fewer system resources.

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