Repolode
Submit
podman-container-tools

podman-container-tools/podman

A daemonless CLI tool for running, building and managing OCI containers, images, volumes and pods, with a Docker-compatible interface.

Open-source alternative to:Docker Desktop

View on GitHubWebsite
Stars
33,199
Forks
3,438
Open issues
983
Last commit
21 hours ago

What is it?

Podman is a tool for managing containers, container images, volumes, and pods made from groups of containers. It runs natively on Linux and, on Mac and Windows, runs containers inside a Podman-managed virtual machine via `podman machine`. Its underlying lifecycle management library, libpod, is developed in the same repository and exposes APIs for containers, pods, images, and volumes.

Podman has no manager daemon, and it supports running containers without root privileges by using user namespaces. Its Docker-compatible CLI lets many existing `docker` commands be used directly, and it also offers a REST API with both Docker-compatible endpoints and Podman-specific ones. Images can be pulled, built from Containerfile or Dockerfile, and pushed to registries.

The project is built on OCI components: crun or runc as the runtime, containers/image and containers/storage for images and storage, Netavark and Aardvark-DNS for networking, and Buildah for builds. Checkpoint and restore via CRIU is supported.

Key features

  • 01Runs containers and pods without root privileges via user namespaces.
  • 02Works without a manager daemon, keeping idle resource use low.
  • 03Provides a Docker-compatible CLI that can also manage remote systems.
  • 04Offers a REST API with both Docker-compatible and Podman-specific endpoints.
  • 05Builds images from Containerfile or Dockerfile and pushes them to registries.
  • 06Runs on Mac and Windows through a Podman-managed virtual machine.

Use cases

  • Replacing Docker Engine on Linux servers or developer workstations without running a root daemon.
  • Running rootless containers in multi-user or security-sensitive environments.
  • Managing groups of containers as pods, for example to prepare Kubernetes-style workloads locally.
  • Scripting container workflows through the Docker-compatible CLI or the REST API.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Follow the installation notes in install.md or the downloads page for your OS

  2. 2

    On Mac or Windows, initialize the Podman-managed virtual machine using podman machine

Things to know

  • Containers run natively on Linux; Mac and Windows rely on a Podman-managed virtual machine.
  • Rootless use needs some administrator setup, and a few features have shortcomings.
  • Only the most recent release receives upstream support, apart from designated LTS versions.

Topics

#containers#oci#docker-compatible#rootless#linux#kubernetes#pods#docker

FAQ

What is podman?
A daemonless CLI tool for running, building and managing OCI containers, images, volumes and pods, with a Docker-compatible interface. Podman is a tool for managing containers, container images, volumes, and pods made from groups of containers. It runs natively on Linux and, on Mac and Windows, runs containers inside a Podman-managed virtual machine via `podman machine`. Its underlying lifecycle management library, libpod, is developed in the same repository and exposes APIs for containers, pods, images, and volumes.
Is podman free to use? What license does it have?
podman is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is podman still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to podman was on Nov 7, 2026.
What can I use podman for?
Replacing Docker Engine on Linux servers or developer workstations without running a root daemon. Running rootless containers in multi-user or security-sensitive environments. Managing groups of containers as pods, for example to prepare Kubernetes-style workloads locally. Scripting container workflows through the Docker-compatible CLI or the REST API.
How do I install podman?
Follow the installation notes in install.md or the downloads page for your OS On Mac or Windows, initialize the Podman-managed virtual machine using podman machine
Where can I get podman?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/podman-container-tools/podman

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

Related projects