`docker machine` was deprecated in favor of Docker Desktop in order to funnel people towards paid licenses. But there's no real reason Docker on non-Linux should need a GUI.
Hi, I'm the founder of Docker. The decision to launch Docker Desktop, and deprecate Docker Machine, had nothing to do with revenue. Desktop was free when we launched it in 2016, and it remained free until 2021. By then Docker had a new CEO, a new board, and I was gone. So the two events (launch and monetization) could not be more disconnected.
The reason we launched Docker Desktop (initially known as "Docker for Mac") was to make the user experience better: easier to install, better integrated with the system (virtualization APIs, keychain, VPNs, etc), and better support for host volumes.
I do so wish we could have those features without needed a desktop app for them. There’s never a case where I’d want to run Docker Desktop for anything GUI.
You can't get around packaging it as a desktop app - that's how you get the seamless "drag into Applications folder, double-click" install experience. I agree you don't necessarily need a full-blown desktop GUI. The original version shipped with the whale menu bar icon, a basic settings page, and that's it.
I do think it makes sense to add more GUI features over time, to make Docker more approachable - not everyone is a CLI wizard. But, it shouldn't make the app slower or annoying to use for those who don't need it.
