🧰 Local Linux Dev Environments on macOS🍎 and Windows🖥️

Whether you're building classroom apps, testing scripts, or just exploring containers, having a local Linux-like environment makes development smoother. Both macOS and Windows offer powerful tools to run Linux locally—without needing full-blown virtual machines or cloud setups.

🍏 Colima on macOS: Lightweight Containers, No Docker Desktop

Colima (Containers on Lima) is a fast, Docker-compatible container runtime for macOS. It uses Apple’s native virtualization framework and wraps it in a simple CLI, giving you Linux containers without the overhead of Docker Desktop.

🔧 How to Set Up Colima

Open Terminal and run it as administrator

Paste the command below to your terminal:

brew install colima
colima start
docker run hello-world

Colima works seamlessly with the Docker CLI. You can also enable Kubernetes support with:

colima start --with-kubernetes

How to use it

1. Start Colima

Launch your container runtime:

colima start

You can customize resources (CPU, RAM, disk) like this:

colima start --cpu 4 --memory 4 --disk 20

2. Run Docker Commands

Colima integrates with Docker CLI, so you can use it just like on Linux:

docker run hello-world

Try building an image:

docker build -t my-app 

Or run a container:

docker run -it ubuntu bash

3. Optional: Enable Kubernetes

If you want to test Kubernetes locally:

colima start --with-kubernetes

Then use kubectl as mentioned before

4. Stop or Restart Colima

To stop:

To restart:

colima restart

WSL on Windows🖥️: Native Linux🐧 with a Twist

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) lets you run a full Linux distro inside Windows—no VM required. It’s perfect for developers who want native Linux tools without leaving Windows.

🔧 How to Set Up WSL

wsl --install

This command installs WSL with the default Ubuntu distro. You can also choose other distros like Debian or Kali:

wsl --list --online
wsl --install -d Debian

Once installed, launch your Linux shell from the Start menu or Terminal:

wsl

WSL supports most Linux tools, package managers, and even GUI apps. It’s tightly integrated with Windows, making file sharing and scripting seamless.