{
  "id": 19492257,
  "title": "OrbStack needs a licence for work, so I tuned Colima itself",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/orbstack-needs-a-licence-for-work-so-i-tuned-colima-itself",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-11T12:18:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/vineethnkrishnan/orbstack-needs-a-licence-for-work-so-i-tuned-colima-itself-17kp"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "OrbStack requires a paid license for work use, while the user's containers primarily serve work purposes. Therefore, the user decided to continue using Colima and make some adjustments. Rosetta technology improved the performance of x86 containers by around 5 times. A thorough cleanup resulted in a 28 GB reduction on the Mac. The user also eliminated any remnants of an old OrbStack installation. The steps taken to achieve this are as follows:\n\n1. Started with Docker Desktop, which was consuming significant CPU and memory resources on the user's Mac.\n2. Switched to Colima, a lightweight Linux VM and CLI that allowed for more efficient resource management via a YAML configuration file.\n3. Stood by the idea of trying new tools, which led to the exploration of OrbStack, a tool known for its file sharing capabilities and resource usage optimization.\n4. Compared OrbStack to Colima and chose OrbStack due to its dynamic memory allocation, two-way file sharing, container domains, automatic HTTPS, fast x86 emulation through Rosetta, fast startup, low CPU and power consumption, and a native Mac app interface.\n5. However, the user found OrbStack's pricing page, which stated that commercial users must purchase a license for each user. The user's containers were mainly used for work, making them commercial use.\n6. The user checked what they had with three commands: `colima list`, `docker context ls`, and `docker system df`.\n7. The output showed that only 13 out of 69 images were in use, freeing up considerable disk space.\n8. The user deactivated Rosetta in Colima's configuration file to improve x86 container performance.\n9. The user pruned their Docker system carefully, removing unused images and build cache, which reduced the disk space significantly.\n10. Finally, the user decided not to pay for a license for commercial use, sticking with Colima's free offering for personal use.",
  "summary": "OrbStack needs a licence for work, so I tuned Colima itself TL;DR : I wanted to move from Colima to OrbStack. OrbStack needs a paid licence for work use, and my containers are mostly for work, so I stayed on Colima and tuned it. Rosetta made x86 containers about 5x faster, a careful prune gave back 28 GB on the Mac, and I cleaned up what an old OrbStack install had left behind. All the commands…",
  "key_points": [
    "OrbStack requires a paid license for work use",
    "User switched to lightweight Colima for efficient resource management",
    "Disk space reduced 28 GB and CPU/memory load decreased"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}