SET UP PODMAN
Our main reason for choosing Debian Server as our OS was to run a later version of Podman. Version 4.3.1 is available in the default repos, but because we’ve enabled the testing repo to install Cockpit, you can install the very latest version (4.9.3 at time of writing) with the following command:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -t testing podman
Once it’s in place, install the
Cockpit plugin, which allows you to monitor running containers and create new ones without having to use the Terminal, if you wish:
sudo apt install -t bookwormbackports cockpit-podman
Once installed, click the Session button, choose ‘Log out’ to log off Cockpit, then log back in. You’ll see a new entry—Podman containers—on the left—select this to verify that Podman is running. You’ll see an option to start ‘User Podman service’—click Start to enable rootless Podman, allowing you to run containers as your own user, as opposed to root.
You can start exploring Podman— our guide in the February 2024 issue is a good place to start. Although written for Windows, it’s easily translated, and you’ll find that the Cockpit plugin is actually more responsive and simpler to use than the Podman Desktop tool for Windows. There’s also no need to faff about with binding ports.
Indeed, many of our previous guides for Docker can be translated to Podman—substitute ‘docker’ with ‘podman’, and you’re good to go in most circumstances. That said, there are peculiarities to running some containers rootless, so if you run into any problems then drop the Doctor an email.