How to install podman on CentOS Linux

Are you looking to streamline your container management on CentOS Linux? Podman offers a robust alternative to Dockers, leveraging the power of containers without a daemon. In today's container-centric world, understanding how to set up Podman effectively can greatly enhance your DevOps practices and improve deployment efficiencies.

Prerequisites for Installing Podman

Before we delve into the installation process, ensure your CentOS system is up-to-date. You can check the version of your CentOS distribution with:

cat /etc/centos-release

This will help confirm compatibility as Podman is supported on CentOS 7 and CentOS 8. Always remember to have root or sudo access to perform installation tasks.

Installing Podman on CentOS

Podman is now included in the default repository of CentOS 8 and later versions. To install Podman, follow these steps:

Update the system to ensure all packages are current:
```
sudo dnf update -y
```
Install Podman using the DNF package manager:
```
sudo dnf install -y podman
```
Verify the installation by checking the installed version:
```
podman --version
```
Expected Output:
```
podman version 4.x.x
```

Configuring Podman

After installation, configuration is straightforward. Podman runs as a non-root user, providing enhanced security. To ensure everything is well-set, you can try pulling your first image:

podman pull docker.io/library/alpine

Expected Output:

Trying to pull docker.io/library/alpine...
Getting image source signatures
Copying blob sha256:abc123456...
...
Successfully tagged docker.io/library/alpine:latest

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Installation Issues

If you encounter issues during installation, verify your CentOS release version. Older versions may not support the latest Podman features. Also, check your Internet connectivity, as the installation requires downloading packages.

Running Podman

In some cases, you might face issues while running Podman commands. Make sure:

Podman is properly installed using podman --version.
Your user has sufficient permissions to execute Podman without sudo, or alternatively, use the command with sudo for administrative tasks.

Container Issues

If you do not see expected output when pulling images, check if the container registry (like Docker Hub) is reachable. You can test connectivity with:

curl https://registry-1.docker.io/v2/

Expected Output:


{ "errors": [ { "code": "UNAUTHORIZED", "message": "authentication required" } ] }

Conclusion

Podman is a powerful tool for managing containers, especially within CentOS environments. Its rootless capabilities significantly enhance security, making container deployment safer in production environments. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully install and begin utilizing Podman on your CentOS system. Happy containerizing!