Podman: Hands-On Projects

Build and Manage Containerized Applications with Podman#

Master the basics of containerizing an application with Podman by building, running, and managing a sample containerized app.

Step 1: Create a Containerfile for Your Application#

podman build -t myapp:latest -f Containerfile

Step 2: Run and Manage the Container#

podman run -d --name myapp-container myapp:latest

Step 3: Monitor Logs and Inspect Running Containers#

podman logs myapp-container
podman ps -a

Set Up Automated Container Builds with Podman in CI/CD Pipelines#

Automate container image builds using GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins.

Step 1: Define a Dockerfile or Containerfile in Your Repository#

Ensure your repository contains a valid Containerfile for building images.

Step 2: Automate Image Building Using a CI/CD Pipeline#

Example GitHub Actions workflow:

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Build Podman image
        run: podman build -t myapp:latest .
      - name: Push to registry
        run: podman push myapp:latest docker.io/myrepo/myapp:latest

Migrate Docker Workflows to Podman#

Transitioning from Docker to Podman is easier than you think. Here’s how to adapt your existing workflows.

Step 1: Run Docker Containers Using Podman (Alias Support)#

alias docker=podman

Step 2: Convert Docker Compose Files to Podman Pods#

podman play kube docker-compose.yaml

Step 3: Transition Existing Docker-Based CI/CD Pipelines to Podman#

Adapt your CI/CD configurations to use Podman instead of Docker for building and deploying images.

Step 4: Debug and Resolve Compatibility Issues#

Check logs and use podman inspect to troubleshoot migration issues.

Secure and Deploy Podman Containers on Kubernetes#

Deploy Podman-built containers securely to a Kubernetes cluster.

Step 1: Build a Secure Podman Image#

podman build --tls-verify=true -t mysecureapp:latest .

Step 2: Scan the Image for Vulnerabilities#

podman scan mysecureapp

Step 3: Generate Kubernetes YAML for Deployment#

podman generate kube mysecureapp > myapp-deployment.yaml

Step 4: Deploy the Application to Kubernetes#

kubectl apply -f myapp-deployment.yaml

Hands-On Challenge#

Put your skills to the test with real-world challenges:

• Build and deploy a full-stack application using Podman.
• Implement a secure CI/CD pipeline with Podman.
• Convert an existing Docker-based project to Podman.
• Deploy a Podman-based microservices architecture in Kubernetes.

That’s it—now go break something (responsibly) and learn by doing! 🚀