Hey everyone, I've got a single Docker container running for Pi-Network on my Macbook Pro M4, and it seems to be consuming a massive 8.99GB of memory according to the activity monitor. Yet, Docker claims that my container itself is only using 475MB. I've set a memory limit of 6GB for Docker as well. Restarting Docker helps temporarily, but after a few days, the high memory usage returns. Since I'll soon downgrade to a Mac with just 24GB of memory, I want to ensure my container can run smoothly without constant restarts. What can I do to manage Docker's memory usage more effectively?
1 Answer
It’s important to remember that Docker on Mac runs inside a virtual machine (VM), which can lead to higher memory usage than you might expect. You can tweak some settings, but it will still reserve a good chunk of RAM. If you're open to alternatives, consider switching to Orbstack, which could provide better integration and use fewer resources than Docker Desktop. If you want to take it further, you could install Linux on a cheap MiniPC and run Docker there instead, which helps with resource management.
Just to throw my two cents in, while a Linux VM can certainly be lighter, keep an eye on what other services you're running too. Sometimes those add more overhead than expected.