Which statement is true about the Docker client on different operating systems?

The statement regarding the Docker command-line client on Mac is accurate because Docker for Mac utilizes a lightweight Linux virtual machine to manage the containers. This is necessary because Docker containers are based on Linux and run natively on a Linux kernel.

On macOS, since it does not use a Linux kernel but rather a Darwin kernel, Docker employs a virtual machine (often utilizing HyperKit) to create a compatible environment for running containers. This allows the client to interface with this virtual machine, which in turn manages the Linux containers. The architecture ensures that Docker can function correctly and maintain performance.

This principle applies similarly to Windows 10 Anniversary Edition or later, where Docker also uses a Linux-based virtual machine, specifically leveraging WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) 2 or Hyper-V for Windows, to provide a seamless environment for running containers developed for Linux. However, the statement about Mac accurately describes how it creates and runs these containers within a virtual machine, confirming the correct option.

The statement claiming that Docker runs natively on Mac and Windows without a virtual machine is not correct, as both operating systems require a method to emulate a Linux environment for Docker containers to function appropriately.