⚙️ Requirements & supported platforms

Documentation

System requirements

CPU: any dual-core CPU (quad-core recommended)
RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB or more recommended; the Workbench and GUI tools like more)
Storage: 10 GB free (20 GB or more for several images; the Nix store shares tools between environments)
An engine: Docker, Podman or Lima for containers, or Nix for native environments (the installers set them up)
Internet: for the installation and the image or environment downloads; afterwards everything runs offline (-q)

Engines

	Docker	Podman	Lima	Nix
Architecture	Client-server daemon	Daemonless	Docker in a QEMU VM	Native environments, no daemon
Root required	Daemon as root	No (rootless by default)	No	No
Linux	✅	✅	-	✅
Windows	✅ Docker Desktop (WSL 2)	✅ Podman Desktop / WSL 2	-	✅ inside a WSL 2 distribution
macOS	✅ Docker Desktop (no USB)	✅ `podman machine` (no USB)	✅ USB passthrough, optional GPU VM	✅
SBCs (arm64, riscv64)	✅	✅	-	✅ (arm64)
Best for	Broad ecosystem	Security-focused, air-gapped, embedded	macOS with RF hardware	No container engine, closest to the hardware

RF Swift auto-detects the engine. Force one with rfswift --engine docker|podman|lima|nix, RFSWIFT_ENGINE, or engine = in config.ini. See engine and the Nix engine guide.

Let the installer handle everything:

curl -fsSL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PentHertz/RF-Swift/refs/heads/main/get_rfswift.sh" | sh

Supported platforms

Platform	x86_64 / amd64	arm64	riscv64
Linux	✅ Fully supported (deb, rpm, pacman, tarball, AppImage)	✅ Fully supported	✅ CLI and images (no Workbench)
Windows 10/11	✅ Fully supported (installer bundle, MSI)	✅ Supported (installer bundle, MSI)	❌
macOS 13+	✅ Supported (universal binaries; Lima for USB)	✅ Supported (Lima for USB, krunkit GPU VM on macOS 14+)	❌

Tested single-board computers

SBC	Status	Engines	Comments
Raspberry Pi 5	✅	Docker, Podman	Works with most tools
Milk-V Jupiter	✅	Docker, Podman	Slower than a Raspberry Pi 5
Orange Pi RV2	✅	Docker, Podman	Slower than the Milk-V Jupiter
Milk-V Mars	❌		Docker and Podman installation is problematic on its software stack
UP Squared series	✅	Docker, Podman
NanoPi T6	✅	Docker, Podman
Orange Pi 5 Ultra	✅	Docker, Podman
Radxa ROCK 5B+	✅	Docker, Podman

On resource-constrained boards, Podman avoids a background daemon, and the Nix engine avoids image layers altogether.

Feature compatibility matrix

Feature	Linux	Windows	macOS
Containers (Docker)	✅	✅ Docker Desktop	✅ Docker Desktop
Containers (Podman)	✅ rootless	✅ WSL 2 / Podman Desktop	✅ podman machine
Native Nix environments	✅	✅ inside WSL 2	✅
GUI tools	✅ X11	✅ WSLg	✅ XQuartz (EGL) or `--desktop`
USB / SDR hardware in containers	✅ mapped	✅ usbipd-win into WSL 2	✅ Lima VM (not Docker Desktop)
Serial hot-plug	✅ Docker, rootful Podman	✅ via usbipd	❌ (attach to the VM)
Audio	✅ host PulseAudio / PipeWire	✅ WSLg, no setup	✅ host PulseAudio (Homebrew)
GPU in containers	✅ vendor runtime	❓ limited	✅ Vulkan compute in the krunkit VM (no USB)
Nix `--isolate` jail	✅ bubblewrap	✅ inside WSL 2	✅ Seatbelt (no PID namespace)
Workbench GUI	✅ AppImage, native	✅	✅ universal app
Remote agent (host and client)	✅	✅	✅
One-line installer	✅	❌ (installer bundle instead)	✅
Native packages	✅ deb, rpm, pacman	✅ MSI, bundle	✅ Homebrew cask, DMG