OrbStack Best Practices
OrbStack is a fast Docker and Linux VM runtime for macOS. Replaces Docker Desktop with better performance and seamless macOS integration.
Core Commands
# Machine lifecycle
orb list # List machines
orb create ubuntu:noble myvm # Create (distro:version name)
orb create --arch amd64 ubuntu x86vm # x86 emulation via Rosetta
orb create ubuntu myvm -c cloud.yml # With cloud-init
orb start/stop/restart/delete myvm
orb default myvm # Set default machine
# Shell and exec
orb # Shell into default machine
orb -m myvm -u root # Specific machine + user
orb -m myvm ./script.sh # Run command in machine
# File transfer
orb push ~/local.txt # Copy to default machine home
orb pull ~/remote.txt # Copy from default machine
orb push -m vm ~/f.txt /tmp/ # Specific machine + path
# Docker/K8s
orb restart docker # Restart Docker engine
orb logs docker # Docker engine logs
orb start k8s / orb delete k8s
# Config
orb config set memory_mib 8192
orb config set cpu 4
orb config set rosetta true
orb config set network_proxy http://proxy:8080Key Paths
| Location | Path |
|---|---|
| Linux files from macOS | ~/OrbStack/<machine>/ |
| Docker volumes from macOS | ~/OrbStack/docker/volumes/ |
| macOS files from Linux | /mnt/mac/Users/... (also at same path directly) |
| Other machines from Linux | /mnt/machines/<name>/ |
| SSH key | ~/.orbstack/ssh/id_ed25519 |
| Docker daemon config | ~/.orbstack/config/docker.json |
Networking (OrbStack-Specific)
Servers in Linux machines are automatically available on localhost on macOS — no port mapping required.
DNS names:
| Pattern | Resolves to |
|---|---|
<machine>.orb.local | Linux VM |
<container>.orb.local | Docker container |
<svc>.<project>.orb.local | Compose service |
host.orb.internal | macOS host (from Linux machine) |
host.docker.internal | macOS host (from container) |
All .orb.local domains get zero-config HTTPS automatically.
Custom container domain: docker run -l dev.orbstack.domains=myapp.local nginx
VPN-compatible; follows macOS proxy settings automatically.
SSH Access
Single multiplexed SSH server — no per-machine setup needed:
ssh orb # Default machine
ssh myvm@orb # Specific machine
ssh user@myvm@orb # Specific user + machineIDE config: VS Code "Remote - SSH" → orb or myvm@orb. JetBrains: host localhost, port 32222, key ~/.orbstack/ssh/id_ed25519. SSH agent forwarding is automatic.
Docker Differences from Docker Desktop
- Container domains resolve without port mapping (
web.orb.localinstead oflocalhost:8080). - Prefer named volumes over bind mounts — data stays in Linux, no cross-filesystem overhead.
- x86 images on Apple Silicon:
docker run --platform linux/amd64 ubuntuorexport DOCKER_DEFAULT_PLATFORM=linux/amd64. - SSH agent in containers:
-v /run/host-services/ssh-auth.sock:/agent.sock -e SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/agent.sock. - Kubernetes: all service types accessible from macOS without
kubectl port-forward;cluster.localDNS works directly.
macOS Commands from Linux
mac open https://example.com # Open in macOS browser
mac notify "Build done" # macOS notification
ORBENV=AWS_PROFILE:EDITOR orb ./deploy.sh # Forward env varsTroubleshooting
orb report # Generate diagnostic report
orb logs myvm # Machine boot logs
orb restart docker # Restart Docker engine
orb reset # Factory reset (deletes everything)
docker context use orbstack # Fix "cannot connect to Docker daemon"Rosetta x86 error: sudo dpkg --add-architecture amd64 && sudo apt install libc6:amd64
Cloud-init debug: orb -m myvm cloud-init status --long or orb -m myvm cat /var/log/cloud-init-output.log