How to Install Podman in Ubuntu ?

Podman is a modern and efficient open-source tool for developing, managing, and populating consumer containers as well as images on Linux platforms. It entered the market to rival Docker by providing a daemon-less model that is easier to use and provides more layers of security to manage containers. This article is designed for anyone using Ubuntu and interested in leveraging Podman’s capabilities; if you belong to this community, read on to learn how to install and use Podman on your Ubuntu machine. This article will explain the basics of Docker, how the program can be installed and set up, and what one has to do after the installation is complete.

Podman is specifically a container engine where an application for the development and operation of the OCI online container and images where the true daemon OS of Linux. It is an open-source project of Red Hat as this company develops a solution for creating a more secure container using fewer resources than Docker does.

Here are some key features and characteristics of Podman:

• Daemonless Design: As is the case with Docker, Podman, however, does not need a daemon to run in the background in perpetuity. This benefits security in that it removes the attack vector that was previously present and also clears up a lot of complexity in the overall design.
• Root-less Containers: Podman is capable of running containers without root permission, however, if the network name is provided, then Podman would use its network to run the container.
• OCI Compliance: Libpod follows the OCI (Open Container Initiative) specifications allowing for interaction with other Libpod, tools, and images that are OCI compliant.
• Integrated Image and Container Management: While Podman is its own daemon like Docker, it includes the Docker CLI which means that you can manage images and containers with a single tool.
• Kubernetes Integration: In fact, it can become the runtime of the Kubernetes environment in which containers are actively used as an ordinary platform for application development.
• Rootless Mode: Podman on the other hand has features for running containers with a rootless mode, a feature that allows normal users to run the containers hence increasing the security and isolation capabilities of the software.
• Compatibility: Podman is Docker Integration compatible, which means it can share a Docker image and work with Docker images and containers.

Podman lacks daemonically and tries to be much lighter and more secure compared to the traditional Docker, making it useful for developers, system administrators, and anyone using Linux systems with containers.

Check the version of the Ubuntu you are using.

Step 1: Update the package index

Before installing any new package, it’s a good practice to update the package index to ensure you have access to the latest available packages. Open the terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install required packages

Podman requires some additional packages to be installed. Run the following command to install the necessary dependencies:

sudo apt install -y software-properties-common

Step 3: Enable the Podman repository

Podman is not included in the default Ubuntu repositories. You need to enable the official Podman repository by running the following commands:

sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys 8083EF36D831FF61
sudo add-apt-repository "deb https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/devel:/kubic:/libcontainers:/stable/xUbuntu_$(lsb_release -rs)/ /"

Step 4: Update the packages

Run the following command to update the package after the addition of various keys and repos.

sudo apt-get update

Step 4: Install Podman

After adding the repository, you can now install Podman by running the following command:

sudo apt install -y podman

Step 5: Verify the installation

To verify that Podman has been installed successfully, run the following command to check its version:

podman --version

Here are five key advantages of using Podman

• Improved Security: Podman does not have a daemon to manage all the pods, which ensures that there is no long living root process and hence the probability of an attacker gaining access to the system is minimized. Also, Podman enables users to run containers in normal users with privileges’ level higher than the root user as another security measure.
• Lightweight and Efficient: Podman is extremely optimized compared to Docker which began as a usage of libcontainer and does not need a daemsonly process. This can lead to efficient usage of the accessible resources particularly with systems which are placed under considerable resource constraints.
• OCI Compliance: Podman follows the set standards of Open Container Initiative (OCI), and therefore offers compatibility with other OCI-compliant tools as well as images. This makes podman ‘‘interoperable’’ and facilitates its inclusion in other container systems and environments.
• Rootless Containers Network: Podman allows for the usage of rootless mode, which permits regular users to work with containers and perform operations on them without using the ‘root’ permissions. It secures its operations and offers a relatively isolated environment as compared to the rest of the system.

While Podman offers several advantages, there are some potential disadvantages or limitations to consider when using Podman on Ubuntu:

• Limited Ecosystem and Community Support: The Podman, on the other hand, was not as popular as the Docker and it has little community in terms of support and development. This also implies that you may stumble on fewer third-party apps, modules, and materials concerning Podman, especially Ubuntu-based ones.
• Compatibility Issues: There may be some compatibility issues or new cases where Podman works slightly different from Docker, even though it aims at working with the Docker CLI and images. This could pose an issue of challenge when trying to port existing Docker oriented work or application to Podman.
• Rootless Limitations: A clearly stated advantage that Podman repeats repeatedly is that it is inherently not root-run and can operate rootlessly. For instance, while using kernel features or system configurations, a user might find that rootless mode cannot support some features or options due to limitations in that particular form of installation.
• Networking Complexity: Configuring more sophisticated networking scenarios, for example, opening ports or creating networks, might less efficiently differ in Podman more than in Docker. This is so because Podman lacks the networking stack as implemented in Docker and what you require might be available as a tool or may warrant manual configuration.

In this guide, we have seen how to install Podman Ubuntu with clear and detailed steps that would help any developer of any level to easily install the tool and get working. As a result of the guidelines given above, Podman has now been deployed on Ubuntu, providing the means for organizing various applications and workflows within containers. Other advantages are that you are free from a daemon that manages the containers; a new security concept; and full compliance with the Open Container Initiative (OCI). If you are a developer, system administrator, or a Linux geek simply interested in the containerization technology, then Podman can help you with a solid and performing toolset. Of course, Podman has features like compatibility with Docker CLI when it can replace Docker in many cases operating with images, containers, etc. The consistency that exists between the two is that it makes it easier to upgrade over from Docker and optimally use previously learned Docker skills.

Can I install Podman on older versions of Ubuntu?

Yes, Podman can be installed on older version of Ubuntu but the Ubuntu version repository link need to be modified and the right repository for the mentioned Ubuntu version need to be enabled.

How do I update Podman to the latest version?

To upgrade Podman to its latest version, open the terminal window and input the command sudo apt update to update the list of available packages for the system. Once this command has been executed, enter the command sudo apt upgrade podman to update the Podman package.

What are the prerequisites for installing Podman on Ubuntu?

However, the software-properties-common package must be installed first to install Podman. This command allows you to install software properties common on Ubuntu by typing sudo apt install -y software-properties-common.

How can I uninstall Podman from my Ubuntu system?

To uninstall Podman, run the following command: sudo apt remove –auto-remove podman Remove both the installed packages and those automatically provided by packages you have installed containing the binary. This will help in the complete removal of Podman and any required dependencies that comes with it from the system.

Is there a graphical user interface (GUI) available for Podman on Ubuntu?

Podman is primarily a CLI tool utilising systemd for container operations management, however, there are couple of other GUI tools out there originally developed by third parties such as Podman Desktop together with related Podman Proper. However, the tools may not be actively supported by or may not even have been originally developed under the Podman project.