Budgie
Distributed containers, simplified.
A simple, consent-based distributed container runtime for LAN and edge environments. Run containers across multiple Linux machines with automatic failover — no Kubernetes required.
What is Budgie?
Budgie lets you run containerized applications across multiple Linux machines with automatic failover. Install Budgie on each machine, join them into a trusted cluster, deploy your apps with a simple budgie.yaml, and Budgie keeps them running even if a node goes down.
Designed for home labs, small businesses, and edge deployments where simplicity matters more than feature completeness. No orchestration overhead, no certification exams — just straightforward container management.
Key Features
Single Binary Install
One command to get running. No complex setup, no prerequisites beyond Docker.
Zero-Config LAN Discovery
Nodes find each other automatically on your local network. No manual addressing needed.
Explicit Consent Model
No node shares resources without opt-in. You control what each machine participates in.
Local Web UI
Built-in dashboard on port 1234. See your cluster, deploy apps, and manage nodes visually.
Stateless Failover
If a node dies, Budgie reschedules its workloads to healthy machines automatically.
Honest Storage Semantics
Budgie tells you exactly what it can and cannot recover. No false promises about stateful data.
Secure by Default
mTLS between all nodes. Local-only UI unless explicitly configured for remote access.
Lightweight
Built in Go with minimal overhead. Runs comfortably on Raspberry Pi and edge devices.
How It Works
Install
Install the single Budgie binary on each Linux machine in your network.
Cluster
Nodes discover each other via LAN. Consent is required — no silent joining.
Deploy
Write a simple budgie.yaml and deploy. Budgie handles placement and scheduling.
Resilient
Automatic failover keeps your apps running even when nodes go down.
budgie.yaml
Define your entire deployment in one simple, human-readable config file. No templates, no Helm charts, no YAML inheritance nightmares.
app: my-web-app
image: nginx:latest
replicas: 2
ports:
- 8080:80
env:
- FOO=bar
healthcheck:
path: /
interval: 10s
timeout: 3s
restart_policy: always
failover_priority: high
storage_mode: ephemeralWhat Budgie Is NOT
Not Kubernetes
Does not replace k8s for large-scale orchestration. Different tool, different scale.
No Seamless Stateful Migration
Budgie is honest about what it can recover. Stateful data requires external solutions.
No Silent Clustering
Every node must explicitly opt-in. No machine joins a cluster without consent.
Not Enterprise
Built for home labs, small businesses, and edge. Not chasing enterprise feature parity.
Tech Stack
Go
Core runtime, networking, and CLI
Docker
Container management and execution
TypeScript
Web UI and dashboard frontend
mTLS
Secure node-to-node communication