Install Docker on a USB disk instead of Mac’s internal disk
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You can install Docker on a USB disk instead of your Mac’s internal disk. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you achieve that:
Prerequisites
1. **External USB Drive**: Ensure you have a USB drive connected to your Mac.
2. **Docker Desktop for Mac**: Download the Docker Desktop for Mac installer from the [official Docker website](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop).
Steps to Install Docker on a USB Disk
1. **Prepare the USB Drive**:
— Make sure the USB drive is formatted in a compatible format (APFS or Mac OS Extended). You can use the Disk Utility app to format the drive.
2. **Download Docker Desktop**:
— Download the Docker Desktop installer from the [Docker website](https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop).
3. **Install Docker Desktop**:
— Run the Docker Desktop installer as usual. This will install Docker Desktop on your Mac’s internal disk.
— Once the installation is complete, do not launch Docker Desktop yet.
4. **Move Docker to the USB Disk**:
— Open Finder and navigate to the `Applications` folder.
— Locate the Docker application.
— Drag the Docker application from the `Applications` folder to your USB drive.
5. **Create a Symlink (Optional)**:
— If you want to create a symlink to Docker in the `Applications` folder, you can do so by opening Terminal and running the following command: ln -s /Volumes/YourUSBDriveName/Docker.app /Applications/Docker.app
— Replace `/Volumes/YourUSBDriveName/` with the actual path to your USB drive.
6. **Remove the Old Docker Data Directory**:
—remove the old Docker data directory:
rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker
7. **Create a Symlink to the New Storage Location**:
— Create a symbolic link from the default Docker storage location to the new directory on the external drive:
ln -s /Volumes/YourUSBDriveName/DockerData ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker
8. **Launch Docker Desktop**:
— Open Docker Desktop and ensure it starts correctly.
### Important Considerations
- **Performance**: Running Docker from a USB drive may be slower compared to the internal SSD, especially if the USB drive is not USB 3.0 or higher.
- **USB Connection**: Ensure that the USB drive remains connected while Docker is running. Disconnecting the drive while Docker is running may lead to data corruption.
By following these steps, you should be able to run Docker from your USB drive, freeing up space on your Mac’s internal disk.
