rancher-desktop

Container Management and Kubernetes on the Desktop

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Quick Overview

Rancher Desktop is an open-source desktop application that brings Kubernetes and container management to the desktop. It provides a user-friendly interface for running Kubernetes and Docker containers locally, making it easier for developers to work with containerized applications on their personal machines.

Pros

Easy-to-use graphical interface for managing Kubernetes clusters and containers
Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, and Linux)
Integrates well with existing Rancher ecosystem and tools
Simplifies local development and testing of containerized applications

Cons

May consume significant system resources, especially on older hardware
Limited advanced configuration options compared to command-line alternatives
Potential learning curve for users new to Kubernetes and container concepts
Occasional stability issues reported by some users

Getting Started

To get started with Rancher Desktop:

Visit the Rancher Desktop releases page on GitHub.
Download the appropriate installer for your operating system.
Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
Launch Rancher Desktop after installation.
Choose your preferred container runtime (Docker or containerd) and Kubernetes version.
Wait for the initial setup to complete.
Start using Rancher Desktop to manage your local Kubernetes cluster and containers.

For more detailed instructions and documentation, visit the Rancher Desktop documentation.

Competitor Comparisons

lima

14,984

Linux virtual machines, with a focus on running containers

Pros of Lima

Lightweight and focused on Linux VM management
Highly customizable with YAML configurations
Supports multiple VM instances simultaneously

Cons of Lima

Less user-friendly for non-technical users
Limited built-in container management features
Requires more manual setup for Docker-like functionality

Code Comparison

Lima configuration example:

images:
- location: "https://cloud-images.ubuntu.com/releases/22.04/release/ubuntu-22.04-server-cloudimg-amd64.img"
  arch: "x86_64"
  digest: "sha256:b4a5ea3e6ccb9d4e4f1e3e4c1c8d5e848a5f3e9b5e2f7f9d2a6b8d9c8e7f6d5e4"

Rancher Desktop configuration example:

{
  "kubernetes": {
    "version": "v1.21.5+k3s2",
    "containerEngine": "containerd"
  },
  "images": {
    "kubernetes": "rancher/k3s"
  }
}

Lima focuses on VM configuration, while Rancher Desktop emphasizes Kubernetes and container engine settings. Lima offers more granular control over the VM image, while Rancher Desktop provides a higher-level abstraction for container orchestration.

Both projects aim to simplify local development environments, but Lima is more flexible for custom VM setups, whereas Rancher Desktop offers a more integrated solution for container and Kubernetes workflows.

podman-desktop

4,524

Podman Desktop - A graphical tool for developing on containers and Kubernetes

Pros of Podman Desktop

Supports multiple container engines (Podman, Docker, Lima)
Rootless container management for enhanced security
Native support for pods and Kubernetes-like features

Cons of Podman Desktop

Less mature project with potentially fewer features
May have a steeper learning curve for Docker users
Limited integration with cloud services compared to Rancher Desktop

Code Comparison

Podman Desktop (JavaScript):

const { ipcRenderer } = require('electron');

ipcRenderer.on('podman-event', (event, data) => {
  console.log('Podman event received:', data);
});

Rancher Desktop (TypeScript):

import { ipcRenderer } from 'electron';

ipcRenderer.on('docker-event', (event: Electron.IpcRendererEvent, data: any) => {
  console.log('Docker event received:', data);
});

Both projects use Electron for their desktop applications, with similar event handling patterns. The main difference lies in the specific events and APIs they interact with (Podman vs. Docker).

Podman Desktop focuses on providing a flexible container management solution with support for multiple engines, while Rancher Desktop offers a more integrated experience with Kubernetes and cloud services. The choice between the two depends on specific use cases and preferences for container technologies.

colima

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Container runtimes on macOS (and Linux) with minimal setup

Pros of Colima

Lightweight and minimal resource usage
Supports both Docker and Kubernetes
Easy to install and use via Homebrew

Cons of Colima

Limited to macOS and Linux platforms
Fewer features and customization options
Smaller community and less frequent updates

Code Comparison

Colima:

colima start
colima stop
colima delete

Rancher Desktop:

rd start
rd stop
rd delete

Both projects aim to provide local Docker and Kubernetes environments, but they differ in their approach and target audience. Rancher Desktop offers a more comprehensive solution with a graphical user interface and broader platform support, including Windows. It's designed to be a full-featured alternative to Docker Desktop.

Colima, on the other hand, focuses on simplicity and minimal resource usage, making it an excellent choice for developers who prefer a lightweight, command-line-based solution on macOS and Linux.

While Rancher Desktop provides more extensive features and customization options, Colima excels in its simplicity and ease of use. The choice between the two depends on the user's specific needs, preferred workflow, and platform requirements.

minikube

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Run Kubernetes locally

Pros of Minikube

Mature project with extensive documentation and community support
Supports multiple hypervisors and container runtimes
Offers advanced features like multi-node clusters and custom addons

Cons of Minikube

Requires manual installation of dependencies (e.g., hypervisor, kubectl)
Can be resource-intensive, especially for older or less powerful machines
Limited cross-platform consistency in user experience

Code Comparison

Minikube:

minikube start
minikube dashboard
kubectl create deployment hello-minikube --image=k8s.gcr.io/echoserver:1.10
kubectl expose deployment hello-minikube --type=NodePort --port=8080

Rancher Desktop:

# No specific CLI commands required for basic setup
# Uses built-in UI for cluster management and deployment

Rancher Desktop provides a more streamlined, GUI-focused approach, while Minikube offers greater flexibility through its CLI. Rancher Desktop aims for a consistent cross-platform experience, whereas Minikube's setup process may vary depending on the host system and chosen hypervisor.

devpod

8,631

Codespaces but open-source, client-only and unopinionated: Works with any IDE and lets you use any cloud, kubernetes or just localhost docker.

Pros of DevPod

Supports multiple cloud providers and local environments, offering greater flexibility
Provides a CLI tool for easier management and automation of development environments
Offers seamless integration with VS Code and other IDEs

Cons of DevPod

Less mature project with potentially fewer community resources
May require more manual configuration for complex setups

Code Comparison

DevPod configuration example:

images:
  - name: golang
    image: golang:1.16
    shell: /bin/bash
    env:
      - GOPATH=/go

Rancher Desktop doesn't have a direct equivalent, as it focuses on providing a local Kubernetes environment rather than defining development environments.

Additional Notes

Rancher Desktop is primarily focused on providing a local Kubernetes environment with container management, while DevPod is designed to create and manage development environments across various platforms. Rancher Desktop offers a more user-friendly GUI for managing containers and Kubernetes clusters, making it potentially easier for beginners to get started.

DevPod's flexibility in supporting multiple cloud providers and local environments may be advantageous for teams working across different platforms or with varying infrastructure requirements. However, Rancher Desktop's tight integration with Kubernetes and container management tools might be more suitable for teams primarily focused on container-based development and deployment.

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README

Rancher Desktop

Rancher Desktop is an open-source project that brings Kubernetes and container management to the desktop. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. This README pertains to the development of Rancher Desktop. For user-oriented information about Rancher Desktop, please see rancherdesktop.io. For user-oriented documentation, please see docs.rancherdesktop.io.

Overview

Rancher Desktop is an Electron application that is mainly written in TypeScript. It bundles a variety of other technologies in order to provide one cohesive application. It includes a command line tool, rdctl, which is written in Go. Most developer activities, such as running a development build, building/packaging Rancher Desktop, running unit tests, and running end-to-end tests, are done through yarn scripts. Some exceptions exist, such as running BATS tests.

Setup

Windows

There are two options for building from source on Windows: with a Development VM Setup or Manual Development Environment Setup with an existing Windows installation.

Development VM Setup

Download a Microsoft Windows 10 development virtual machine. All of the following steps should be done in that virtual machine.
Open a PowerShell prompt (hit Windows Key + X and open Windows PowerShell).

Run the automated setup script:

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
iwr -useb 'https://github.com/rancher-sandbox/rancher-desktop/raw/main/scripts/windows-setup.ps1' | iex

Close the privileged PowerShell prompt.
Ensure msbuild_path and msvs_version are configured correctly in .npmrc file. Run the following commands to set these properties:
```
npm config set msvs_version <visual-studio-version-number>
npm config set msbuild_path <path/to/MSBuild.exe>
```
For example for Visual Studio 2022:
```
npm config set msvs_version 2022
npm config set msbuild_path "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe"
```
If you get an error message when trying to run npm config set..., run npm config edit and then add lines like
```
msvs_version=2022
msbuild_path=C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe
```
Do not quote the values to the right side of the equal sign. The quotes aren't needed, and it's possible that some processors will treat them as literal parts of the path, and then fail.

Configure git to work with linux- and macos-originated files:

git config --global --replace-all core.autocrlf false
git config --global --replace-all core.eol lf

If you find the lint:go tests are failing mysteriously, it's possible that the line-endings are incorrect.

You can now clone the repository and run yarn.

Manual Development Environment Setup

Install Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on your machine. Skip this step, if WSL is already installed.
Open a PowerShell prompt (hit Windows Key + X and open Windows PowerShell).
Install Scoop via iwr -useb get.scoop.sh | iex.
Install 7zip, git, go, mingw, nvm, and unzip via scoop install 7zip git go mingw nvm python unzip. Check node version with nvm list. If node v18 is not installed or set as the current version, then install using nvm install 18 and set as current using nvm use 18.xx.xx.
Install the yarn package manager via npm install --global yarn
Install Visual Studio 2017 or higher. As of this writing the latest version is available at [https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/]; if that's changed, a good search engine should find it.
Make sure you have the Windows SDK component installed. This Visual Studio docs describes steps to install components. The Desktop development with C++ workload needs to be selected, too.

Configure git to work with linux- and macos-originated files:

git config --global --replace-all core.autocrlf false
git config --global --replace-all core.eol lf

If you find the lint:go tests are failing mysteriously, it's possible that the line-endings are incorrect. 9. Ensure msbuild_path and msvs_version are configured correctly in .npmrc file. Run the following commands to set these properties:

npm config set msvs_version <visual-studio-version-number>
npm config set msbuild_path <path/to/MSBuild.exe>

For example for Visual Studio 2022:

npm config set msvs_version 2022
npm config set msbuild_path "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe"

If you get an error message when trying to run npm config set..., run npm config edit and then add lines like

msvs_version=2022
msbuild_path=C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin\MSBuild.exe

Do not quote the values to the right side of the equal sign. They aren't needed, and it's possible that some processor will treat them as literal parts of the path, and then fail.

You can now clone the repository and run yarn.

macOS

Install nvm to get Node.js and npm:

See https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm#installing-and-updating and run the curl or wget command to install nvm.

Note that this script adds code dealing with nvm to a profile file (like ~/.bash_profile). To add access to nvm to a current shell session, you'll need to source that file.

Currently we build Rancher Desktop with Node 18. To install it, run:

nvm install 18.18

Next, you'll need to install the yarn package manager:

npm install --global yarn

You'll also need to run brew install go if you haven't installed go.

Then you can install dependencies with:

yarn

â ï¸ Working on a mac with an M1 chip?

You will need to set the M1 environment variable before installing dependencies and running any npm scripts:
export M1=1
yarn
You will want to run git clean -fdx to clean out any cached assets and re-downloaded with the correct arch before running yarn if you previously installed dependencies without setting M1 first.

Linux

Ensure you have the following installed:

Node.js v18. Make sure you have any development packages installed. For example, on openSUSE Leap 15.3 you would need to install nodejs18 and nodejs18-devel.
yarn classic
Go 1.21 or later.
Dependencies described in the node-gyp docs installation. This is required to install the ffi-napi npm package. These docs mention "a proper C/C++ compiler toolchain". You can install gcc and g++ for this.

Then you can install dependencies with:

yarn

You can then run Rancher Desktop as described below. It may fail on the first run - if this happens, try doing a factory reset and re-running, which has been known to solve this issue.

Running

Once you have your dependencies installed you can run a development version of Rancher Desktop with:

yarn dev

Tests

To run the unit tests:

yarn test

To run the integration tests:

yarn test:e2e

Building

Rancher can be built from source on Windows, macOS or Linux. Cross-compilation is currently not supported. To run a build do:

yarn build
yarn package

The build output goes to dist/.

Debugging builds with the Chrome remote debugger

The Chrome remote debugger allows you to debug Electron apps using Chrome Developer Tools. You can use it to access log messages that might output to the developer console of the renderer process. This is especially helpful for getting additional debug information in production builds of Rancher Desktop.

Starting Rancher Desktop with Remote Debugging Enabled

To enable remote debugging, start Rancher Desktop with the --remote-debugging-port argument.

On Linux, start Rancher Desktop with the following command:

rancher-desktop --remote-debugging-port="8315" --remote-allow-origins=http://localhost:8315

On macOS, start Rancher Desktop with the following command:

/Applications/Rancher\ Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/Rancher\ Desktop --remote-debugging-port="8315" --remote-allow-origins=http://localhost:8315

On Windows, start Rancher Desktop with the following command:

cd 'C:\Program Files\Rancher Desktop\'
& '.\Rancher Desktop.exe' --remote-debugging-port="8315" --remote-allow-origins=http://localhost:8315

After Rancher Desktop starts, open Chrome and navigate to http://localhost:8315/. Select the available target to start remote debugging Rancher Desktop.

Remote Debugging an Extension

To remote debug an extension, follow the same process as remote debugging a build. However, you will need to load an extension before navigating to http://localhost:8315/. Both Rancher Desktop and the loaded extension should be listed as available targets.

Debugging dev env with GoLand

The following steps have been tested with GoLand on Linux but might work for other JetBrains IDEs in a similar way.

Install the Node.js plugin (via File > Settings > Plugins)
Go to the "Run/Debug Configurations" dialog (via Run > Edit Configurations...)
Add a new Node.js configuration with the following settings:
- Name: a name for the debug configuration, e.g. rancher desktop
- Node interpreter: choose your installed node interpreter, e.g. /usr/bin/node
- Node parameters: scripts/ts-wrapper.js scripts/dev.ts
- Working directory: choose the working directory of your project, e.g. ~/src/rancher-desktop
Save the configuration
You can now set a breakpoint and click "Debug 'rancher desktop'" to start debugging

Development Builds

Windows and macOS

Each commit triggers a GitHub Actions run that results in application bundles (.exes and .dmgs) being uploaded as artifacts. This can be useful if you want to test the latest build of Rancher Desktop as built by the build system. You can download these artifacts from the Summary page of completed package actions.

Linux

Similar to Windows and macOS, Linux builds of Rancher Desktop are made from each commit. However on Linux, only part of the process is done by GitHub Actions. The final part of it is done by Open Build Service.

There are two channels of the Rancher Desktop repositories: dev and stable. stable is the channel that most users use. It is the one that users are instructed to add in the official documentation, and the one that contains builds that are created from official releases. dev is the channel that we are interested in here: it contains builds created from the latest commit made on the main branch, and on any branches that match the format release-*. To learn how to install the development repositories, see below.

When using the dev repositories, it is important to understand the format of the versions of Rancher Desktop available from the dev repositories. The versions are in the format:

<priority>.<branch>.<commit_time>.<commit>

where:

priority is a meaningless number that exists to give versions built from the main branch priority over versions built from the release-* branches when updating.

branch is the branch name; dashes are removed due to constraints imposed by package formats.

commit_time is the UNIX timestamp of the commit used to make the build.

commit is the shortened hash of the commit used to make the build.

`.deb` Development Repository

You can add the repo with the following steps:

curl -s https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/isv:/Rancher:/dev/deb/Release.key | gpg --dearmor | sudo dd status=none of=/usr/share/keyrings/isv-rancher-dev-archive-keyring.gpg
echo 'deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/isv-rancher-dev-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/isv:/Rancher:/dev/deb/ ./' | sudo dd status=none of=/etc/apt/sources.list.d/isv-rancher-dev.list
sudo apt update

You can see available versions with:

apt list -a rancher-desktop

Once you find the version you want to install you can install it with:

sudo apt install rancher-desktop=<version>

This works even if you already have a version of Rancher Desktop installed.

`.rpm` Development Repository

You can add the repo with:

sudo zypper addrepo https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/isv:/Rancher:/dev/rpm/isv:Rancher:dev.repo
sudo zypper refresh

You can see available versions with:

zypper search -s rancher-desktop

Finally, install the version you want with:

zypper install --oldpackage rancher-desktop=<version>

This works even if you already have a version of Rancher Desktop installed.

Development AppImages

There are no repositories for AppImages, but you can access the latest development AppImage builds here.

API

Rancher Desktop supports a limited HTTP-based API. The API is defined in pkg/rancher-desktop/assets/specs/command-api.yaml, and you can see examples of how it's invoked in the client code at go/src/rdctl.

Stability

The API is currently at version 1, but is still considered internal and experimental, and is subject to change without any advance notice. At some point we expect that necessary changes to the API will go through a warning and deprecation notice.

Contributing

Please see the document about contributing.

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Quick Overview

Pros

Cons

Getting Started

Competitor Comparisons

Pros of Lima

Cons of Lima

Code Comparison

Pros of Podman Desktop

Cons of Podman Desktop

Code Comparison

Pros of Colima

Cons of Colima

Code Comparison

Pros of Minikube

Cons of Minikube

Code Comparison

Pros of DevPod

Cons of DevPod

Code Comparison

Additional Notes

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README

Rancher Desktop

Overview

Setup

Windows

Development VM Setup

Manual Development Environment Setup

macOS

â ï¸ Working on a mac with an M1 chip?

Linux

Running

Tests

Building

Debugging builds with the Chrome remote debugger

Starting Rancher Desktop with Remote Debugging Enabled

Remote Debugging an Extension

Debugging dev env with GoLand

Development Builds

Windows and macOS

Linux

.deb Development Repository

.rpm Development Repository

Development AppImages

API

Stability

Contributing

Further Reading

Top Related Projects

Convert designs to code with AI

â ï¸ Working on a mac with an M1 chip?

`.deb` Development Repository

`.rpm` Development Repository