README
¶
bosun
A terminal UI for Docker that stays out of your way. Bordered panels, one-key actions, live logs and stats. It is the tool I wanted while babysitting a dozen containers across side projects, so I built it.
Why
I spend half my day in docker ps, docker logs -f, docker exec, over and over. The web dashboards are heavy and the CLI makes me retype the same three commands. bosun keeps everything one keypress away and never leaves the terminal.
It is not trying to replace Docker Desktop. It is a fast keyboard cockpit for the containers you already have running.
Install
You need a running Docker daemon. That is it for the Homebrew route.
Homebrew:
brew install psychedelicdevx/tap/bosun
With Go (1.24 or newer):
go install github.com/psychedelicdevx/bosun/cmd@latest
Or build it yourself:
git clone https://github.com/psychedelicdevx/bosun.git
cd bosun
go build -o bosun ./cmd
./bosun
Usage
Run it:
bosun
It connects to your local daemon through the usual socket (it respects DOCKER_HOST if you set it), lists every container, and hands you the keyboard. The list on the left is what you navigate. The panel on the right shows details, and switches to logs or stats when you ask for them. Whichever panel has focus gets a green border, same idea as lazygit.
If you run Compose stacks, the list groups containers by project so you can see each stack together and collapse the ones you are not touching right now. Containers that are not part of a project sit in their own group at the bottom.
Press 1 and 2 to switch between the containers view and an images view, where you can see every image with its size, remove ones you do not need, and prune the dangling <none> images that pile up after rebuilds.
If the daemon is down or the socket is not readable, bosun tells you in plain language instead of dumping a stack trace.
Want to try it without touching your real containers? Run bosun --demo for a self-contained sandbox with fake containers, logs, and stats. Handy for screenshots and for kicking the tires.
Keys
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
↑ ↓ or k j |
move through the list |
1 / 2 |
switch between containers and images |
/ |
filter the list by name |
space |
collapse or expand a compose group |
tab |
switch focus between the two panels |
enter |
stream logs for the selected container |
S |
live CPU and memory |
e |
drop into a shell inside a running container |
s |
start |
x |
stop |
r |
restart |
d |
remove container or image, asks first |
p |
prune dangling images (images view) |
esc |
back to the details view |
? |
show the keybindings |
q |
quit |
Logs follow along at the bottom while new lines arrive. Scroll up and it stops chasing so you can read, then it picks back up once you return to the bottom. The list refreshes itself every couple of seconds, so anything you change from another terminal shows up on its own.
Themes
Press T to cycle color themes while running, or pick one at launch:
bosun --theme dracula
Built in themes: default, catppuccin, dracula, tokyonight, nord, gruvbox, rosepine, solarized, monokai, mono. Run bosun --themes to list them, or set BOSUN_THEME in your shell to make one stick.
How it works
The whole thing is one static binary. Under the hood:
- Bubble Tea drives the event loop, with Lip Gloss for the panels and colors.
- The official Docker Go SDK talks to the daemon.
- Logs and stats each run in their own goroutine and feed the UI through channels, so streaming never blocks a keypress. Closing a panel cancels its stream cleanly, no leaked goroutines.
Status
Early but usable every day. Container list, logs, stats, the lifecycle actions, and shell exec all work. Next on the bench: compose project grouping, image and volume panels, and a name filter for when the list gets long.
Issues and pull requests are welcome.
License
MIT
Directories