# Docker Configuration

Sculptor requires Docker to create isolated environments for each agent. Proper Docker configuration ensures optimal performance and stability.

## Installing Docker

### On Mac

Install [Docker Desktop](https://docs.docker.com/desktop/setup/install/mac-install/) for macOS.

**Version Requirements:**

* Ensure your Docker version is 27 or higher by running `docker --version`

**Configuration Steps:**

1. **Set Virtual Machine Manager**
   * Go to Settings > General > Virtual Machine Options
   * Disable "Use containerd for pulling and storing images"
     * Using containerd causes `docker commit` to take excessively long due to how containerd handles image layers and commits. Sculptor relies on frequent container snapshots, which perform much better with the traditional Docker storage driver.
     * If you are already using Docker Desktop with containerd enabled and want to disable it, you may need to migrate your existing images.
   * Set "Virtual Machine Manager" to `Docker VMM`
2. **Configure Resource Allocation**
   * Go to Settings > Resources > Resource Allocation
   * **Memory limit:** Set to 8GB (or 30% of your system memory, whichever is lower)
   * **Swap:** Disable swap
   * **Disk limit:** Set to 50% of available disk space (minimum 100 GB)
   * **Resource Saver:** Disable Resource Saver — we've seen it cause issues

### On Linux

**Do not install Docker Desktop on Linux.**

Instead, install [Docker Engine](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/) by following the instructions for your specific Linux distribution.

**Version Requirements:**

* Ensure your Docker version is 27 or higher by running `docker --version`

## Verifying Your Installation

After installing and configuring Docker, verify it's working correctly:

```bash
docker --version
docker run hello-world
```

If you see a "Hello from Docker!" message, your installation is working correctly.

## Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with Sculptor and Docker:

1. **Ensure Docker is running** — Check that the Docker daemon is active
2. **Verify resource allocation** — Make sure you've allocated sufficient memory and disk space
3. **Check Docker version** — Sculptor requires Docker 27 or higher
4. **Restart Docker** — Sometimes a restart resolves connectivity issues

For additional support, visit our [Resources](https://docs.imbue.com/additional-resources/resources) page.