# Install docker-machine with Homebrew, chocolatey, MacPorts, pacman, scoop Create Docker hosts locally and on cloud providers. Version 0.16.2-gitlab.51 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-01. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:docker-machine ``` ## 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. Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install docker-machine ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install docker-machine ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: devel/docker-machine/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S docker-machine ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: docker-machine from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz ### Windows - Chocolatey (92%): ```sh choco install docker-machine ``` Evidence: Chocolatey community package catalog: docker-machine from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','dnspy' - Scoop (92%): ```sh scoop install main/docker-machine ``` Evidence: Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/docker-machine.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:docker-machine - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 0.16.2-gitlab.51 - **Source summary:** Create Docker hosts locally and on cloud providers - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** Apache-2.0 - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-01T08:37:56-04:00 - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T18:08:21+00:00 ## Executables - docker-machine (cli) - docker-machine (alias) ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Service: declared - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 0.16.2-gitlab.51 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-01 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/docker_machine.html - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## 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 Notes formula declares a Homebrew service. infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal. - **Geiger risk:** orange / medium - formula declares a Homebrew service - infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal ## 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 - Unix: ~/.docker/machine ## Credential files - Unix: ~/.docker/machine/machines/*/*.pem ## 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:** - **Deprecated:** yes - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - pacman - docker-machine - 0.16.2-6: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: docker-machine from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Machine management for a container-centric world | https://github.com/docker/machine - MacPorts - docker-machine: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: devel/docker-machine/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Chocolatey - docker-machine: normalized package name match | Chocolatey community package catalog: docker-machine from http://community.chocolatey.org/api/v2/Packages?$filter=IsLatestVersion&$select=Id&$top=1000&$skiptoken='11','dnspy' - Scoop - main/docker-machine: normalized package name match | Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/docker-machine.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Cloud CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/cloud-clis/) - Belongs to a cloud or infrastructure command family. - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Text processing packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/text-processing-tools/) - Matched text, document, or structured-data processing metadata. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [docker-machine-driver-vmware](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docker-machine-driver-vmware/) - Popular package that depends on this formula. - [cdebug](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cdebug/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, containers, developer-tools, docker. - [cekit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cekit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, containers, developer-tools, docker. - [devcontainer](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/devcontainer/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, containers, developer-tools, docker. - [dockcheck](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dockcheck/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, containers, developer-tools, docker. - [docker](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docker/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, containers, developer-tools, docker. - [docker-buildx](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docker-buildx/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, containers, developer-tools, docker. - [docker-clean](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docker-clean/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, containers, developer-tools, docker. - [docker-compose](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docker-compose/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, containers, developer-tools, docker. - [docker-machine-driver-vultr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docker-machine-driver-vultr/) - Package names and metadata indicate a similar tool family. Shared terms: cli, cloud, containers, developer, developer-tools. - [docker-credential-helper-ecr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/docker-credential-helper-ecr/) - Package names and metadata indicate a similar tool family. Shared terms: cli, cloud, containers, developer, developer-tools. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/docker-machine.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/docker-machine.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph - curated agent safety answer