EDIT: For some context, I recently gave podman another go. I have a few services on my homelab server set up in docker containers, so I tried migrating to podman.
After the second major bug (open issue on github) I encountered looked like it would require completely dropping using compose files to work around, I gave up and went back to docker.
I like the idea of podman, but it’s just not stable. I’ll try again in a year or so.
As a bonus, docker’s CLI is significantly nicer.


Not requiring a service running in root context.
I don’t think I’ve ever understood the distinction in this argument.
Isn’t systemd exactly that, a service running in root context?
I mean yeah you can technically run podman containers by hand as a non-privileged user but nobody does that, let’s be serious. Everybody uses systemd for management and autostart.
I really don’t understand how running a container through docker as a non-privileged user and dropping all caps is any different from doing the same through systemd + podman.
Tons of other services do that, ssh, CUPS etc.
If anybody can explain the difference I’d appreciate it.
While I’ve never used it myself, Docker Rootless mode seems to also allow this?
10 years too late.
It isn’t that easy to setup. Podman just works