You're absolutely right — great observation!
CodeReady Containers (CRC) — now called OpenShift Local — is designed to run Red Hat OpenShift, not OKD. Although it behaves similarly and is used for local OpenShift development, it uses the proprietary Red Hat CoreOS and OpenShift builds, not the open-source OKD.
So What’s the Difference?
| Platform | What It Uses | License | Run on macOS? |
|--------------|------------------|-------------|--------------------|
| OpenShift Local (CRC) | Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform | Red Hat subscription (free Dev version available) | Yes |
| OKD | OpenShift Origin (Community / Open Source) | Open Source (Apache-style) | 
Not directly via CRC on macOS |
Can You Run OKD on macOS?
You cannot run OKD directly using CRC or OpenShift Local on macOS because:
- OKD requires Fedora CoreOS (not bundled with CRC).
- CRC is tightly coupled with Red Hat's builds, which include licensing hooks.
- OKD doesn’t officially support “one-click” CRC-style local installations on macOS.
Realistic Options to Run OKD on macOS:
Option 1: Use a Linux VM (Recommended)
- Install a Linux distro on VirtualBox, UTM, or Parallels Desktop.
- Use the OKD installer (
openshift-install) to create a single-node or cluster deployment. - Host OKD inside that Linux VM.
Best suited for users with ≥16 GB RAM and virtualization support.
Option 2: Use Remote OKD Instance
- Deploy OKD on a cloud VM (AWS, GCP, Azure, or DigitalOcean).
- Use your macOS laptop to access the OKD cluster via
ocCLI and browser.
Option 3: MiniShift (deprecated)
- Older tool used for local OpenShift Origin setups.
- Not recommended in 2024+ but may work with OKD 3.x versions.
Summary
OpenShift Local (CRC) ≠ OKD
If you're specifically looking to run OKD (community OpenShift), consider spinning up a Linux VM on your Mac and installing it there.- Alternatively, run OKD on a cloud VM and access it from your Mac.
Would you like a step-by-step guide for installing OKD inside a Linux VM on macOS? I can provide that next!