Crate is a macOS-native GUI client for Apple’s new container ecosystem, built on top of the container CLI and the underlying Containerization Swift framework. This project aims to provide a polished user interface for managing containers, images, logs, and runtime configuration—offering developers a visual alternative to CLI-based workflows.
Crate is designed as a lightweight and intuitive application for interacting with Apple containers. It targets developers and power users who want a native tool to manage containers on macOS without relying on Docker, Podman, or third-party runtimes.
- Provide a user interface for container lifecycle management using Apple’s native tooling.
- Integrate with the
Containerizationframework directly for maximum performance and future compatibility. - Visualize containers, logs, images, and runtime details in real-time.
- Offer practical developer utilities (image pulling, runtime config builders, quick start options).
- List all running/stopped containers
- View container details (ID, runtime config, filesystem, etc.)
- Start, stop, and delete containers
- View all available images
- Pull images from OCI registries
- Inspect and remove images
- Stream logs from active containers
- Search, filter, and export logs
- Status indicators (running, exited, error, etc.)
- Build container run commands via form-based UI
- Configure mounts, environment variables, CPU/memory limits
- Save and reuse common configurations
- Menu bar integration for quick access
- Volume & network management (when/if supported)
- CLI tool companion for scripted use cases
- Container presets and Quick Actions (e.g. right-click a config file to run)
| Layer | Tech |
|---|---|
| UI Framework | SwiftUI |
| Container API | Containerization Framework |
| Reactive Bindings | Combine |
| Runtime Hooks | gRPC via vsock (vminitd) |
| Distribution | Swift Package Manager, DMG |
- macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later
- Apple Silicon (M1 chip or newer)
- Xcode 16+
- Swift 6
Crate is currently in the early planning and prototyping phase.
Immediate goals:
- Define and test key API integrations using
Containerization - Build a minimal container list UI
- Validate real-time log streaming via
vminitd - Design modular architecture for future extensibility
| Version | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | Container list UI + lifecycle actions (start/stop/delete) |
| 0.2 | Logs streaming + filtering |
| 0.3 | Image list and image pull support |
| 0.4 | Visual container creation UI |
| 0.5 | Menu bar integration + presets |
| 1.0 | Stable release with documentation, distribution (DMG/homebrew), and tests |
This project is open to contributors interested in:
- SwiftUI/macOS development
- Container runtime technology
- Native macOS developer tools
To contribute:
- Clone the repository
- Build using Xcode 16+
- Follow the architecture and feature roadmap
Contributor guide coming soon.
MIT License – Copyright © Alec Wilson
