As Systems Engineer (not the IT type, but the real engineering one), I need to reference many different types of models, but the most valuable ones are what enable Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE).

An already established standars for models is SysML, which currently is in the process of being standardised on version 2.

One of the emerging tools for SysML is SysON, which is open-source, and can be simply run with a Docker command (see their instructions)… but only on x86_64 machines.

I have created an issue on their GitHub repository, but while it gets fixed, I tried the following work around.

First, let’s run a Docker-based Postgres database mapping the normal Postgres port (5432) to 5430, and making sure it is available through 127.0.0.1:

docker run -p 127.0.0.1:5430:5432 --name syson-postgres \
                                  -e POSTGRES_USER=dbuser \
                                  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=dbpwd \
                                  -e POSTGRES_DB=syson-db \
                                  -d postgres

Notice the usage of 5430 next to 127.0.0.1. This is key for the proper running of the next command.

Once we have Postgres running, we need to run the SysOM Jar file:

java -jar ./syson-application-2025.1.0.jar \
     --spring.datasource.url=jdbc:postgresql://127.0.0.1:5430/syson-db \
     --spring.datasource.username=dbuser \
     --spring.datasource.password=dbpwd

How do we know which Jar file to download? We follow the instructions on the How to install SysON ecosystem only? page, and then the Installing SysON Manually instructions, to make sure that we download a stable version of org.eclipse.syson.syson-application-YYYY.M.0.jar.

Please note that:

We use 127.0.0.1 explicitly, and not localhost.
We use 5430 for the port in the spring.datasource.url key, as we mapped in the docker run command.
The end of the spring.datasource.url corresponds to the POSTGRES_DB key after the IP:PORT/ part.
The spring.datasource.username key must match the POSTGRES_USER key in the docker run command.
The spring.datasource.password key must match the POSTGRES_PASSWORD key in the docker run command.

Please also note that the instructions on the How to install SysON ecosystem only? page are slightly different. These instructions have been verified for consistency.

With the caveats above, it should be possible now to point your browser (preferably Firefox; Safari has problems) to 127.0.0.1:8080 and start using SysON.

Using Docker on Apple Silicon

For your docker needs, specially on Apple Silicon, I suggest you forget about the official Docker Desktop application, and instead use Colima.

You can start Colima simply with

colima start

And the docker environment will be preserved until you do

colima stop