DockMate
Dockmate: The open-source Docker TUI & Podman manager for terminal productivity. A fast, lightweight alternative to lazydocker built in Go.
Install / Use
/learn @shubh-io/DockMateREADME
Note: Previously named DockWatch.
📥 Installation
🍺 Homebrew (Recommended)
Works on Linux & macOS.
brew install shubh-io/tap/dockmate
📦 Quick Install Script
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shubh-io/DockMate/main/install.sh | sh
User-local Installation
If you lack sudo access or prefer local bins:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shubh-io/DockMate/main/install.sh | INSTALL_DIR=$HOME/.local/bin sh
Ensure $HOME/.local/bin is in your PATH.
Build from Source
Requires Go 1.24+:
git clone 'https://github.com/shubh-io/DockMate'
cd DockMate
go build -o dockmate
sudo mv dockmate /usr/local/bin/
Verifying Downloads
Releases include SHA256 checksums.
# Example verification
curl -fsSL -o dockmate https://.../dockmate-linux-amd64
curl -fsSL -o dockmate.sha256 https://.../dockmate-linux-amd64.sha256
sha256sum -c dockmate.sha256
Standard Methods
| Method | Command |
| :--- | :--- |
| Homebrew | brew upgrade shubh-io/tap/dockmate |
| Built-in | dockmate update |
🛠️ Force Re-install / Troubleshooting
If dockmate update reports success but the version does not change, re-run the installer to force-replace the binary:
# curl
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shubh-io/DockMate/main/install.sh | sh
# wget
wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shubh-io/DockMate/main/install.sh | sh
Custom Directory Users:
If you originally installed to a custom location (e.g., ~/.local/bin), you must specify it again to avoid installing to the default path:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/shubh-io/DockMate/main/install.sh | INSTALL_DIR="$HOME/.local/bin" sh
Troubleshooting
"Permission Denied" when running Compose actions
If the app fails to enter a directory, it is likely a filesystem permission mismatch between your current user and the project folder.
Symptoms
You see an error similar to this in the logs or terminal:
Error: compose error (docker up): chdir /home/dockertest/my-app: permission denied
The Fix
Ensure your user has ownership of the project directory.
Example Case:
If your project is located at ~/path/to-your-folder/, run:
# Replace '~/path/to-your-folder/' with your actual project path
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ~/path/to-your-folder/
Technical Note:
This command recursively (-R) changes the owner to your current logged-in user ($USER). This grants DockMate the necessary permissions to execute compose commands within that directory.
🚀 Key Features
DockMate is the htop for Docker-lightweight, keyboard-driven, and zero-config.
- ⚡ Real-time Monitoring: Stats for CPU, Memory, Disk I/O, Network, etc.
- 📦 Compose Management: Full lifecycle control for Docker Compose and Podman Compose projects.
- ⌨️ Instant Control: Start (
s), Stop (x), Restart (r), and Remove (d) containers with single keystrokes. - 🔍 Debugging: View logs (
l) or spawn an interactive shell (e) instantly. - 🐳 Multi-Runtime: Native support for Docker and Podman.
- 📂 Deep Info Panel: View Compose metadata, project directories, and source paths.
- ⚙️ Persistent Settings:
-
- Custom Shell: Defaults to
/bin/sh, but configurable to/bin/bash,/bin/zsh, etc.
- Custom Shell: Defaults to
-
- Refresh Rates: Configurable Refresh Interval.
-
- State Saving: Remembers your runtime (Docker/Podman) and column layouts on restart.
⌨️ Controls
Run dockmate to start.
Navigation & Global
| Key | Action |
| --- | --- |
| ↑/↓ or j/k | Move cursor up/down |
| ←/→| Navigate pages |
| Tab | Toggle column selection mode |
| Enter | Sort by selected column |
| l / i / c | Toggle Logs / Info / Compose view |
| F1 | Help Menu |
| F2 | Settings |
| Esc / q | Back / Quit |
Container Actions (Single)
| Key | Action |
| --- | --- |
| s | Start container |
| x | Stop container (Exit) |
| r | Restart container |
| d | Delete container |
| e | Open interactive shell (Exec) |
Compose Project Actions (Grouped)
| Key | Action |
| --- | --- |
| u / U | Up (Create & Start all services) |
| x / X | Stop all services |
| r / R | Restart entire project |
| p / P | Pause / Unpause project |
| d / D | Down (Stop & Remove containers/networks) |
🛠️ Configuration & Runtimes
Switching Runtimes (Docker ⇄ Podman)
- In-App: Open Settings, toggle Runtime, and Save.
- CLI: Run
dockmate --runtimeto launch the interactive selector.
Configuration File
Settings are saved to ~/.config/dockmate/config.yml. You can manually edit this to change defaults for refresh rates, preferred shell, and column visibility.
🆚 Why DockMate?
DockMate vs LazyDocker
| Feature | DockMate | LazyDocker |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Philosophy | ⚡ Speed & Simplicity | 🧰 Feature-rich Power User |
| Engine Support | ✅ Docker + Podman (Native) | ⚠️ Docker (Podman via workaround) |
| Performance | 🚀 Instant (<2s) / Minimal Deps | 🐢 Variable / Heavy Deps |
| Tech Stack | 🆕 Bubble Tea (Modern) | 👴 gocui (Legacy, old) |
| Maintenance | 🔄 Built-in (dockmate update) | ❌ Manual updates |
| Input & UI | ⌨️ Keyboard-only / Text-based | 🖱️ Mouse + Key / ASCII Graphs |
| Scope | 🎯 Containers & Compose | 📦 Containers + Images + Layers |
Choose DockMate if you:
- Want a fast, "install and go" tool.
- Need native Podman support.
- Prefer
htop-style simplicity over complex dashboards.
🗺️ Roadmap
- [x] Docker Compose integration
- [x] Docker Compose management
- [x] Podman Support
- [x] Homebrew distribution
- [ ] Custom Key-Bindings
- [ ] Container search/filter
- [ ] Containers Network Management
- [ ] Resource monitoring alerts
- [ ] Image management
🤝 Contributing & License
License: MIT. Do whatever you want, just keep the license intact.
Built by @shubh-io while learning Go.
If DockMate saves you keystrokes, consider dropping a ⭐ on the repo!
