Why is Docker Performance Slower on macOS Than on Native Linux Systems?

Docker Performance Issues on macOS

When running Docker in macOS, users often encounter significant performance limitations, making it a hindrance for efficient development. This issue stems from the fundamental nature of Docker's architecture on macOS.

Docker requires a Linux kernel to operate, but macOS does not provide one natively. Instead, it employs a client to run Docker and an abstraction layer between macOS and Docker containers. This abstraction layer introduces compatibility challenges, causing Docker to run slower than on native Linux systems.

To illustrate the disparity, let's consider a real-world example. On a MacBook using Docker v18 with macOS Mojave, executing a Symfony 4 application yields the following approximate execution times:

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

In comparison, executing the same application without Docker while utilizing Symfony cache yields an execution time of approximately 82 ms.

To improve Docker performance on macOS, consider implementing volume caching. By using the ":cached" option, Docker can significantly reduce the time spent on file system operations. This optimization can help alleviate the performance degradation associated with the abstraction layer between macOS and Docker containers.

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