agent safety

Agent safety answer

docker-machine provisions and manages Docker hosts and credentials.

Credential access

Reads machine certificates, SSH keys, and Docker host credentials.

Remote mutation

Can create, remove, start, stop, and configure Docker hosts.

Publish/artifact risk

Can expose or replace infrastructure used for container workloads.

Recommended control

Gate create, rm, regenerate-certs, env, and host mutation commands.

Agent-use guidance

Allow inspect/status; require approval for host creation, deletion, and credential export.

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install docker-machine

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install docker-machine

MacPorts ports tree · devel/docker-machine/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S docker-machine

Arch Linux sync databases · docker-machine · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

Windows

Chocolateyverified · 92%

choco install docker-machine

Chocolatey community package catalog · docker-machine · source: community.chocolatey.org

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/docker-machine

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/docker-machine.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Create Docker hosts locally and on cloud providers

Project links

Commands and aliases

docker-machine

history

Project history and usage

Docker Machine is the CLI that automated creation of Docker hosts on local hypervisors, cloud providers, and private infrastructure. It belongs to the pre-Docker-Desktop and pre-managed-Kubernetes period of Docker tooling, when creating a VM, installing Docker Engine, and pointing the local docker client at it were routine development and CI tasks.

Project history

The original Docker Machine README describes a tool that creates servers, installs Docker on them, and configures the Docker client to talk to those hosts. It supported local VM drivers such as VirtualBox and cloud drivers such as DigitalOcean, with an extension model for third-party driver plugins.

The packaged Homebrew line follows GitLab's fork. GitLab states that the fork exists to fix critical bugs for the GitLab Runner Docker Machine executor after Docker deprecated Docker Machine on 2021-09-27. GitLab also states that it does not plan new features, and that maintenance is limited to critical bug fixes, CI execution reliability, and cost-impacting issues.

Adoption history

Docker Machine was widely adopted because it gave the Docker CLI a repeatable way to target disposable local and cloud hosts before Docker Desktop, Docker contexts, managed container platforms, and autoscaling CI runners became the dominant workflows. Its driver-plugin model let vendors and community maintainers ship provider support outside the core binary.

The GitLab fork preserved Docker Machine for GitLab Runner's docker+machine autoscaling executor. GitLab's documentation points users toward its newer autoscaling solution, generally available from GitLab 17.1, and says the Docker Machine fork will be supported only until GitLab 20.2 in May 2027.

How it is used

Typical usage is docker-machine create with a local or cloud driver, docker-machine ls to inspect hosts, docker-machine env to export Docker client environment variables, and docker-machine rm to remove a host. The tool also stores per-machine TLS material under ~/.docker/machine so the client can securely reach remote Docker daemons.

Why package nerds care

Docker Machine is package-nerd significant because it turned a messy cross-provider bootstrap workflow into one installable CLI plus plugin binaries. Its later life as a maintained GitLab fork is also instructive: package managers can keep legacy automation alive long after the original upstream project leaves the center of the ecosystem.

Timeline

Docker Machine era: The upstream project standardized docker-machine create, env, ls, and driver plugins for Docker hosts.
2021-09-27: GitLab records Docker Machine as deprecated by Docker.
GitLab fork era: GitLab maintains a fork for critical fixes needed by the GitLab Runner Docker Machine executor.
GitLab 17.1: GitLab's replacement autoscaling solution is generally available.
May 2027: GitLab plans support for its Docker Machine fork until GitLab 20.2.

Related projects

Related projects include Docker Engine, boot2docker, Docker Desktop, Docker contexts, GitLab Runner's docker+machine executor, Rancher Machine, and the family of Docker Machine provider drivers.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: orange

formula declares a Homebrew service. infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

formula declares a Homebrew service
infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal

Signals

metadata:service
text:cloud

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Formula metadata declares a service or daemon block.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ~/.docker/machine

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ~/.docker/machine/machines/*/*.pem

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`docker-machine`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version0.16.2-gitlab.51

manager updated2026-07-01

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/docker_machine.html

infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/docker_machine.htmlnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:docker-machine
Version	0.16.2-gitlab.51
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/docker-machine
Homepage	https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/docker_machine.html
Repository	https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/ci-cd/docker-machine
Upstream docs	https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/docker_machine
License	Apache-2.0
Source archive	https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/ci-cd/docker-machine/-/archive/v0.16.2-gitlab.51/docker-machine-v0.16.2-gitlab.51.tar.bz2
Last updated	2026-07-01T08:37:56-04:00
Pulse	updated
Build dependencies	go
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	docker-machine
Aliases	boot2docker-cli
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	yes
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

pacman95%

docker-machine 0.16.2-6

Machine management for a container-centric world

https://github.com/docker/machine

sudo pacman -S docker-machine

License: Apache
Architecture: x86_64
1 dependencies
1 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Docker Machine

Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: docker-machine from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

MacPorts95%

docker-machine

sudo port install docker-machine

normalized package name match
Matched by: Docker Machine

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: devel/docker-machine/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Chocolatey95%

docker-machine

choco install docker-machine

normalized package name match
Matched by: Docker Machine

Chocolatey community package catalog · community.chocolatey.org · Chocolatey community package catalog: docker-machine from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','dnspy'

Scoop95%

main/docker-machine

scoop install main/docker-machine

normalized package name match
Matched by: Docker Machine

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/docker-machine.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/docker-machine.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated agent safety answer
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install docker-machine with Homebrew, chocolatey, MacPorts, pacman, scoop