Podman
Podman is a daemonless container engine for managing OCI containers, pods, images, and volumes on Linux, with support for Mac and Windows via a virtual machine. It provides a Docker-compatible CLI and REST API, enabling rootless container management for improved security and lower resource usage. It is designed for developers and system administrators who need a secure, flexible alternative to Docker.
✨ Key features
- Daemonless architecture for improved security and low idle resource usage
- Docker-compatible CLI and REST API for easy migration
- Rootless container and pod management without elevated privileges
- Supports OCI and Docker images, including pulling, building, and pushing
- Pod management for groups of containers sharing resources
- Runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows via podman machine
🎯 Use cases
- Run containers and pods in development or production without a daemon
- Manage container images: pull, build, tag, and push to registries
- Create and manage pods for multi-container applications
- Use as a drop-in replacement for Docker in CI/CD pipelines
- Run rootless containers for secure multi-tenant environments
📦 Installation
🧰 Requirements: Linux (or Mac/Windows with a virtual machine), no daemon required; rootless mode requires user namespaces and some host configuration.
For installation instructions, refer to the install guide. The README does not provide direct installation commands.
🚀 Usage
$ podman run quay.io/podman/hello
Trying to pull quay.io/podman/hello:latest...
Getting image source signatures
Copying blob a6b3126f3807 done
Copying config 25c667d086 done
Writing manifest to image destination
Storing signatures
!... Hello Podman World ...!
.--"--.
/ - - \
/ (O) (O) \
~~~| -=(,Y,)=- |
.---. /` \ |~~
~/ o o \~~~~.----. ~~
| =(X)= |~ / (O (O) \
~~~~~~~ ~| =(Y_)=- |
~~~~ ~~~| U |~~
Project: https://github.com/containers/podman
Website: https://podman.io
Documents: https://docs.podman.io
Twitter: @Podman_io
⚠️ Good to know
Rootless mode has some shortcomings (see rootless.md), and only the most recent release receives upstream support, with exceptions for certain LTS-like series.
❓ FAQ
Does Podman require a daemon?
No, Podman is daemonless, which improves security and reduces resource usage at idle.
Can I use Podman on macOS or Windows?
Yes, Podman can be used on Mac and Windows via a Podman-managed virtual machine using podman machine.
Is Podman compatible with Docker commands?
Yes, Podman provides a Docker-compatible CLI interface, allowing you to run containers locally and on remote systems.
Can I run containers without root privileges?
Yes, Podman supports rootless mode, using user namespaces to run containers with the same privileges as the user launching them.
📊 Repository
🤖 Overview, features, install steps and FAQ were generated from the project's README on Sep 4, 2026. Always check the original source before running commands.