Install Podman on Ubuntu 24.04 from Ubuntu’s standard repositories, then verify it with podman --version, inspect the host with podman info, and run a test container. Podman is daemonless for normal command-line use, so you do not start a background daemon before using podman run.
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For everyday development, use rootless Podman under your normal account. Use Quadlet when a container must be managed persistently by systemd, and start the optional API socket only when a client actually needs Podman’s Docker-compatible API.
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This guide assumes a working Ubuntu 24.04 installation and an account that can run commands with sudo. Podman’s installation documentation lists Ubuntu 20.10 and newer as supported by the package-based installation path, which includes Ubuntu 24.04.
- An Ubuntu 24.04 system with network access to its configured Ubuntu package mirrors.
- A user account with
sudopermission for package installation and, if needed, system-wide configuration. - Enough disk space for container images, writable layers, volumes and logs. The amount depends on the images and workloads you choose.
The exact Podman package revision in the Ubuntu 24.04 archive can change as updates are published. Do not assume a version number from an older tutorial; check the build installed on your machine.
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Install Podman from Ubuntu’s repositories
Ubuntu’s official repositories are the documented source for a normal Ubuntu installation. You do not need to add a third-party repository for the standard setup described here.
-
Refresh the local package index:
sudo apt-get update -
Install Podman:
sudo apt-get -y install podman -
Confirm that the command is available and display the installed build:
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Inspect the host, storage, runtime and networking configuration that Podman detected:
podman info
If apt-get reports that it cannot locate the package, check that the normal Ubuntu repositories for your release are enabled, run sudo apt-get update again, and inspect the package-manager error before trying another source. The installation instructions establish package availability, but they do not establish one fixed Podman version for every Ubuntu 24.04 update level.
Run your first container
Use the smallest smoke test
The simplest documented first run is:
podman run -it helloThis command asks Podman to obtain the hello image if it is not already present and starts it interactively. The exact output depends on the image and the installed package, but a successful command confirms that the client can create and start a container.
Understand what happened
Podman works with images, containers, networks and volumes. An image is the reusable package used to create a container; a container is the running or stopped instance created from that image. The first run may take longer because the image must be pulled and stored locally. Later runs can reuse the local image unless you request a different tag or image.
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Podman is daemonless for ordinary CLI operations. You do not need to start an API service merely to run podman run, list containers or remove an image. This makes the direct command line useful for testing an image without first designing a service or enabling a background process.
Use the same Linux account for the commands that create and inspect a rootless container. Switching accounts changes the image and container state that Podman can see, even when both accounts are on the same Ubuntu host.
Start a web container and publish a port
To try a long-running service, run an Nginx container with an explicit image reference:
podman run -d --name web -p 8080:80 docker.io/library/nginx:alpineEach option has a distinct purpose:
-dstarts the container in the background and returns control to your shell.--name webgives the container a stable, readable name instead of relying on an automatically generated name.-p 8080:80maps port 8080 on the Ubuntu host to port 80 inside the container.docker.io/library/nginx:alpineidentifies the image and tag to use.
With this mapping, a client connecting to port 8080 on the host is forwarded to the container’s port 80. A port mapping does not change the service’s listening port inside the container. If another process already occupies host port 8080, choose another host-side port while leaving the container-side port that the image expects unchanged.
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List containers that are currently running:
podman psInclude containers that have exited:
podman ps -aStop the named web container:
podman stop webRemove the stopped container:
podman rm webRemoving a container does not automatically remove the image from local storage. If you no longer need an image, remove it by image name or ID:
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podman rmi IMAGEReplace IMAGE with the value shown by your local image listing. If a command or option behaves differently in your package build, use podman --help or the manual pages installed with that build.
Images, containers, and repeatable testing
It helps to separate the four objects Podman manages. The image is the immutable-style starting point you pull or otherwise make available locally. A container is an instance created from that image and can be running or stopped. Networks provide connectivity between containers and the host, while volumes are storage objects intended to outlive an individual container. The installation and first-run commands in this guide exercise the image and container parts; workloads that need durable data should plan their volume use before deleting a container.
A readable name such as web is useful when you repeatedly stop, inspect, and remove a service. The name belongs to the container, not to the image. Removing the container therefore does not imply that the image is gone, and removing the image does not preserve a container that depended on it. Keep an image when you expect to create another test instance; remove it only when reclaiming local storage is worth pulling it again later.
Rootless Podman: the normal choice for users
Rootless mode runs Podman under your ordinary Linux account and uses a user namespace. It avoids running the container-management CLI as host root and is appropriate for many development and service tasks.
Configure subordinate UID and GID ranges
Rootless Podman requires subordinate user and group ID ranges recorded in /etc/subuid and /etc/subgid. First inspect existing entries for your account; do not append a range that duplicates one already assigned.
grep '^USERNAME:' /etc/subuid
grep '^USERNAME:' /etc/subgidReplace USERNAME with the account that will run rootless containers. If the account has no suitable ranges, the Podman manual gives this example:
sudo usermod --add-subuids 10000-75535 USERNAME
sudo usermod --add-subgids 10000-75535 USERNAMEUse the same account name in both commands. The numerical range is an example from the manual; preserve existing allocations and follow your system’s policy when assigning values. Inspect the files again after making a change so you know which ranges are actually assigned to the account that will invoke Podman.
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Understand root inside a rootless container
Inside a rootless container, a process may appear to run as UID 0, but that identity is mapped to the invoking host user by default. Container root is therefore not equivalent to host root. Rootless containers are also separated from containers owned by other users.
This distinction matters when diagnosing permissions. A process that can write as root inside the container does not automatically gain unrestricted access to host files, devices, or privileged ports. If a workload requires host-level administration or a resource unavailable to the user namespace, evaluate rootful operation deliberately rather than solving the symptom by adding sudo to every command.
Rootless and rootful operation compared
Podman keeps each user’s image and container state separate. A container created by your normal account is not visible in another user’s Podman view, and it is not visible when you run Podman as root. Conversely, a container created with sudo podman belongs to the root context.
| Decision | Rootless Podman | Rootful Podman |
|---|---|---|
| Command context | Run as the ordinary user | Run as root, commonly through sudo |
| Container and image state | Stored in the user’s Podman context and separate from other users | Stored in root’s separate Podman context |
| Host privilege | Avoids making the CLI itself host-root | Has host-level privileges appropriate to administrative tasks |
| Visibility | Visible to that user’s Podman commands | Visible to root’s Podman commands, not ordinary users’ listings |
| Container UID 0 | Maps to the invoking host user by default | Uses the rootful namespace and privilege model |
| Privileged resources | Some host ports, devices and operations may be unavailable or restricted | Can be used when host-level administration or privileged resource access is required |
| Persistent systemd scope | Managed by the user systemd manager | Managed by the system systemd manager |
Choose rootless unless the workload genuinely needs root-level host access. If a container seems to disappear after you add or remove sudo, first check which Podman context you are querying rather than assuming the container was deleted. Keeping one consistent context also prevents duplicate image pulls and confusingly different configuration reports.
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Use the command line for routine lifecycle work
Direct commands are useful for one-off experiments and exploratory containers. A practical lifecycle is:
-
Start a container with a name and any required port mappings:
podman run -d --name web -p 8080:80 docker.io/library/nginx:alpine -
Check only active containers:
podman ps -
Check active and stopped containers when diagnosing a failed start:
podman ps -a -
Stop the service cleanly:
podman stop web -
Remove the container after stopping it:
podman rm web
Keep images when you expect to create another container from them. Remove an image only when you understand that future containers using it will need to pull it again or obtain it from another local source.
When a test fails, begin with the context and the lifecycle state: run the listing as the same user that started the container, include stopped containers with podman ps -a, and distinguish a stopped container from a missing image. These simple checks often explain an apparently empty result without changing configuration.
Run a container as a systemd service with Quadlet
For a container that should be described declaratively and started or supervised by systemd, Podman’s current recommended direction is Quadlet. Quadlet files can describe containers, pods, images, networks, volumes and Kubernetes YAML deployments. A systemd generator reads those files and creates the corresponding service units.
Quadlet requires cgroup version 2. Confirm the host’s cgroup configuration with podman info before designing a systemd-managed deployment. This requirement is separate from whether a one-off podman run command can start a container.
Create a rootless Quadlet file
For a rootless user, create the directory if necessary and place the source file at:
mkdir -p ~/.config/containers/systemdCreate ~/.config/containers/systemd/web.container with this minimal content:
[Container]
Image=docker.io/library/nginx:alpine
ContainerName=web
PublishPort=8080:80The file declares the image, the container name and the host-to-container port mapping. The basename web causes Quadlet to generate a user service named web.service.
Reload and start the generated service
-
Ask the user systemd manager to regenerate units from the Quadlet source:
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systemctl --user daemon-reload -
Start the generated service:
systemctl --user start web.service -
Inspect its status:
systemctl --user status web.service
Edit the Quadlet file when you need to change the image, name or port, then run systemctl --user daemon-reload again. Do not edit a generated service unit directly; the generator can recreate it from the source file. Supported Quadlet keys can vary with the installed Podman release, so consult the podman-systemd.unit manual installed on your system for the exact options your package supports.
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Rootful Quadlet placement
Administrator-managed rootful Quadlet files commonly live in /etc/containers/systemd/ and are managed by the system systemd scope rather than the user scope. The file location determines which systemd manager sees the definition and which Podman privilege context starts the container.
Use the Podman API socket only when required
Most local Podman commands do not need an API socket. Start one when another client specifically requires the Docker-compatible API.
Rootless socket
The documented rootless endpoint is:
unix://$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/podman/podman.sockStart the user socket with:
systemctl --user start podman.socketIf a user service must remain available after reboot even when the user has not opened an interactive login session, enable lingering for that account:
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Rootful socket
The rootful endpoint is:
unix:///run/podman/podman.sockStart the system socket with:
sudo systemctl start podman.socketUse the endpoint that matches the privilege context of the client. A rootless client should not be pointed at the rootful socket merely because it is easier to find.
Do not casually expose a TCP API
Do not publish an unauthenticated Podman API over TCP as a convenience shortcut. The documented defaults are Unix sockets, and API access provides substantial control over containers for the corresponding user or root context. Keep the socket local and configure any client to use the appropriate Unix path.
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podman is not found after installation
- Run
podman --versionto confirm whether the binary is installed. - Repeat
sudo apt-get updateand review any repository or network errors. - Verify that you are using Ubuntu 24.04 repositories rather than a disabled or mismatched release entry.
- Do not immediately mix in an unrelated third-party repository; the documented Ubuntu path uses the standard package repositories.
podman ps shows no container, but you created one
Check whether you changed users or added sudo. Rootless and rootful storage are separate, so compare podman ps -a with sudo podman ps -a deliberately. The result in one context does not describe the other.
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Inspect /etc/subuid and /etc/subgid for the invoking account. Rootless Podman requires subordinate UID and GID ranges. Add only a non-duplicating allocation using the documented usermod commands, then retry from the intended user account. If several administrators share the host, verify that the ranges belong to the correct account rather than copying another user’s entry.
The Quadlet service is missing
- Confirm that the file is in
~/.config/containers/systemd/for rootless use or/etc/containers/systemd/for rootful use. - Check that the filename ends in
.containerand that the generated service uses the same basename. - Run the correct
systemctl --user daemon-reloador system-level reload after editing. - Check cgroup version 2 support and inspect the installed
podman-systemd.unitmanual for release-specific keys. - Make sure you are checking the same systemd scope in which the file was placed; a user unit and a rootful unit are not interchangeable.
The API client cannot connect
- Start the socket in the same user or root context as the client.
- Use the matching Unix endpoint:
unix://$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/podman/podman.sockfor rootless orunix:///run/podman/podman.sockfor rootful. - If a rootless service must run without an active login session, configure lingering for its owning user.
- Do not troubleshoot a failed local connection by exposing an unauthenticated TCP listener.
A port or privilege assumption fails
Recheck whether the container is rootless and whether the requested host resource requires privileges unavailable to the user namespace. Rootless mode intentionally does not provide the same host access as rootful mode. Move only the workload that genuinely needs host-level access into the rootful systemd or Podman context, and keep ordinary development containers rootless.
Rootless versus rootful: a practical decision
For a personal development shell, rootless is usually the safer and less surprising starting point: it keeps the CLI under your normal account, keeps state separate from the system administrator’s containers, and avoids treating container UID 0 as host root. Rootful is a deliberate administrative choice for workloads that need host-level privileges, devices, or other resources that rootless operation cannot provide.
Do not mix the two modes accidentally. Decide which account owns a service, place its Quadlet file in that account’s systemd directory, and use the matching API socket if a client needs one. Document that choice for anyone who will maintain the host; otherwise, a perfectly healthy container can appear to have vanished simply because a different Podman context was queried.
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- Install from Ubuntu’s repositories with
sudo apt-get updatefollowed bysudo apt-get -y install podman. - Record the installed build with
podman --version; do not infer it from a tutorial. - Inspect the host using
podman info. - Run
podman run -it helloas a smoke test. - Use rootless mode for normal work and configure subordinate UID/GID ranges before relying on it.
- Remember that rootless and rootful commands operate on separate images and containers.
- Use direct
podman runcommands for experiments and Quadlet for declarative systemd management. - Confirm cgroup v2 before relying on Quadlet.
- Use the API socket only when a client requires it, and keep access on the documented Unix socket.
- When diagnosing a problem, check the user context, container state, image availability, file location, and installed manual before changing the architecture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a third-party repository to install Podman on Ubuntu 24.04?
No. The documented standard path uses Ubuntu’s official repositories: run sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get -y install podman. The exact package revision can change, so verify it with podman --version.
Can I use Podman without sudo?
Yes. Rootless Podman runs under your ordinary account and uses a user namespace. Ensure that the account has suitable subordinate UID and GID ranges in /etc/subuid and /etc/subgid. Use sudo only for installation or tasks that intentionally belong to the rootful context.
Why does podman ps show nothing while sudo podman ps shows a container?
Rootless and rootful Podman use separate image and container state. A container created by your account is not visible to root, and a container created by root is not visible to your account. Run the command in the same privilege context that created the container.
Is root inside a rootless container the same as root on Ubuntu?
No. UID 0 inside a rootless container maps to the invoking host user by default. It does not provide unrestricted host-root privileges, and rootless containers remain separated from other users’ containers.
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When should I use Quadlet instead of podman run?
Use direct podman run commands for one-off tests and exploration. Use Quadlet when a container should be declared in a file and managed as a systemd service. Quadlet requires cgroup v2 and generates units from files such as ~/.config/containers/systemd/web.container.
Where do Quadlet files go?
Rootless definitions commonly go in ~/.config/containers/systemd/ and are managed with systemctl --user. Administrator-managed rootful definitions commonly go in /etc/containers/systemd/ and belong to the system systemd scope.
Do I need to start podman.socket before running containers?
No. Ordinary local Podman commands are daemonless and do not require the API socket. Start the rootless or rootful socket only when another client needs the Docker-compatible API.
What are the Podman API socket paths?
The documented rootless endpoint is unix://$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/podman/podman.sock; the rootful endpoint is unix:///run/podman/podman.sock. Start the socket in the same user or root context as the client. Avoid unauthenticated TCP exposure.
How do I keep a rootless socket available without an active login session?
Start the user socket with systemctl --user start podman.socket, then use loginctl enable-linger USER for the owning account when the service must remain available after reboot without an interactive login.
Why is my Quadlet service not appearing?
Check the directory, the .container filename suffix, the systemd scope, and whether you ran the appropriate daemon-reload. Confirm cgroup v2 and consult the installed podman-systemd.unit manual because supported keys can vary by Podman release.
The Bottom Line
On Ubuntu 24.04, install Podman with apt-get from the standard Ubuntu repositories, verify it with podman --version and podman info, then test podman run -it hello. Prefer rootless operation for ordinary work, remember that rootless and rootful state are separate, use direct commands for experiments, and use Quadlet with cgroup v2 for systemd-managed containers. The API socket is optional: keep it on the documented Unix path and enable it only for clients that require it.
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