Podman Container Engine

Podman is a daemonless container engine for developing, managing, and running OCI-compliant containers and container images on Linux systems. Unlike traditional container platforms, it operates without a persistent, privileged daemon, directly interacting with the container runtime to enhance security and allow for true rootless container management. Its command-line interface is intentionally compatible with Docker, providing a familiar experience for developers, while its native support for "pods"—groups of containers that share resources—aligns with Kubernetes concepts, simplifying the transition of applications from local development to a fully orchestrated environment.

1. Introduction to Podman
   1. What is Podman
      1. Definition and Core Purpose
      2. Container Engine Overview
      3. Target Use Cases
   2. Core Philosophy and Design Principles
      1. Daemonless Architecture
         1. Fork-Exec Model
         2. Process Management Approach
         3. Benefits of Daemonless Design
         4. Comparison to Daemon-based Systems
      2. Rootless-first Security Model
         1. User Namespace Utilization
         2. Security Benefits
         3. Operational Implications
      3. OCI Standards Compliance
         1. Runtime Specification Adherence
         2. Image Specification Compliance
         3. Interoperability Benefits
   3. Key Features and Capabilities
      1. Docker CLI Compatibility
         1. Command Syntax Similarities
         2. Migration Path from Docker
         3. Feature Parity Analysis
      2. Pod Support
         1. Pod as First-Class Object
         2. Kubernetes Pod Compatibility
         3. Multi-container Orchestration
      3. Systemd Integration
         1. Native Service Management
         2. Unit File Generation
         3. Boot-time Container Management
      4. Enhanced Security Features
         1. Reduced Attack Surface
         2. Privilege Separation
         3. Security Context Management
   4. Podman vs Docker Comparison
      1. Architectural Differences
         1. Daemon vs Daemonless
         2. Process Ownership Model
         3. Resource Management
      2. Security Model Differences
         1. Root vs Rootless Operation
         2. Attack Surface Analysis
         3. Privilege Requirements
      3. Feature Compatibility
         1. Command Line Interface
         2. API Compatibility
         3. Ecosystem Integration
      4. Performance Characteristics
         1. Resource Overhead
         2. Startup Time
         3. Runtime Performance
   5. Podman Ecosystem Tools
      1. Buildah
         1. Image Building Capabilities
         2. Integration with Podman
         3. Advanced Build Features
      2. Skopeo
         1. Image Inspection
         2. Image Transfer Operations
         3. Registry Interaction
      3. Container Runtime Options
         1. runc
         2. crun
         3. Runtime Selection Criteria