Docker vs Podman: Which Container Tool is Right for You?

Are you looking for a containerization tool to manage your applications? Docker and Podman are two popular options in the Linux world. In this article, we’ll compare and contrast these two tools to help you decide which one is right for your needs.

Docker is a containerization tool that allows developers to create, deploy, and run applications in containers. It was released in 2013 and quickly became popular among developers due to its ease of use and portability.

On the other hand, introduced in 2018, Podman is a more recent containerization tool that serves as a seamless substitute for Docker. Its main objectives are to prioritize security and adhere to the Open Container Initiative (OCI) standards. By adopting an active approach to containerization, Podman enables developers to ensure that their applications are secure and compatible with industry standards, giving them peace of mind while they build and deploy their software.

Installation

Both Docker and Podman are available for Linux distributions, so you can choose the one that is compatible with your system. Here are the installation commands for Ubuntu:

# Install Docker
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

# Install Podman
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install podman

Image Management

Docker and Podman employ a comparable image management mechanism that enables storing images in registries and easily pulling or pushing them to those registries. This system offers a streamlined and efficient approach to managing images, allowing users to effortlessly access and share their images across various platforms. With Docker and Podman’s image management system, developers can focus on what truly matters: building and delivering their applications with ease and speed. So why wait? Start leveraging this powerful image management technology today!The Docker Hub is the most popular registry for Docker images, while the Quay.io registry is popular for Podman images.

# Search for an image
docker search nginx

# Pull an image
docker pull nginx

# List images
docker images

# Remove an image
docker rmi nginx

# Search for an image
podman search nginx

# Pull an image
podman pull nginx

# List images
podman images

# Remove an image
podman rmi nginx

Container Management

Also, Docker and Podman share a similar image management system that simplifies storing and sharing images in registries. This lets developers focus on building and delivering applications quickly and easily. Start using this powerful image management technology now! Here are some example commands for managing containers in Docker and Podman:

# Run a container
docker run -d --name mynginx nginx

# List containers
docker ps

# Stop a container
docker stop mynginx

# Remove a container
docker rm mynginx

# Run a container
podman run -d --name mynginx nginx

# List containers
podman ps

# Stop a container
podman stop mynginx

# Remove a container
podman rm mynginx

Security

One of the main differences between Docker and Podman is their approach to security. Docker requires root privileges to run, which can be a security risk. Podman, on the other hand, is designed to run as a non-root user, which makes it more secure.

To mitigate the risks, Docker has implemented various security features, such as:

• User namespaces: Firstly, this feature allows containers to run as a non-root user inside the container. This can help prevent an attacker from gaining root access to the host system.
• AppArmor and SELinux: Secondly, security modules are available to developers to restrict container permissions. These modules provide an active means of controlling the access and capabilities of containers, which enhances the security of the entire system. By employing these modules, developers can minimize the risk of potential security breaches and ensure that their applications remain protected. They prevent them from accessing sensitive parts of the host system.
• Image scanning: Docker has a built-in image scanning tool that can scan images for vulnerabilities and malware.
• Content trust: This feature allows images to be signed and verified, ensuring that they have not been tampered with.

On the other hand, some of the security features of Podman include:

• Rootless mode: This mode allows Podman to run as a non-root user, which makes it more secure.
• Seccomp and SELinux: Podman supports these security modules, which can help restrict the permissions of containers and prevent them from accessing sensitive parts of the host system.
• Image scanning: Podman supports image scanning tools like Clair and Skopeo, which can scan images for vulnerabilities and malware.
• Content trust: Podman supports content trust, which allows images to be signed and verified.

Some other commands:

docker run -it --name myapp -v /path/on/host:/app myapp

This command runs a container named myapp based on the myapp image that we built in the previous command. On the other hand, the -v option mounts a directory on the host at /path/on/host to the /app directory inside the container. This allows us to persist data between container runs.

docker inspect -f '{{.NetworkSettings.IPAddress}}' myapp

This command inspects the myapp container and retrieves its IP address. The -f option specifies the format of the output, which in this case is just the IP address.