# nlf/dlite

The simplest way to use Docker on OS X

Repository: https://github.com/nlf/dlite
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/dlite
Language: Go
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2024-05-06T08:39:55+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 23/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4048, "days_push": 849, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2324, forks 53 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:37.346330+00:00)

## What it is
DLite is a lightweight tool for running Docker on macOS, providing a simple way to set up a Docker host VM on OS X. It is written in Go and uses a small VM to host the Docker daemon natively on Mac hardware.

## Use cases
- run docker on mac without docker desktop
- lightweight docker host on osx
- simple docker setup for os x
- replace docker toolbox on mac
- run linux containers on macos

## When to choose
- you want a minimal, no-friction Docker setup on macOS
- you prefer a lightweight alternative to Docker Desktop
- you are comfortable with a beta-stage tool

## When to avoid
- you need actively maintained software with recent fixes
- you need Docker Desktop features like a GUI or Kubernetes
- you are on a platform other than macOS

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: maintenance
- function: container-runtime, developer-tools, cli
- domain: developer-tools
- platform: go, cli
- tags: docker-on-macos, xhyve, lightweight-vm, docker-host, containers, devops, command-line, macos, docker

## Member repositories
- nlf/dlite (main) score 23

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:37.346330+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T02:38:34.612987+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/nlf/dlite (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:37.346330+00:00, sha 0a1247224ab6)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.