Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Last updated on November 8th, 2024 at 05:48 pm
Table of Contents
Introduction: Podman Pull Docker Image
Docker provides a full-fledged ecosystem and toolset to manage and run the container application. But if you’re looking for lightweight and secure rootless management- Podman is the powerful alternative.
I already wrote about the difference between Docker and Podman, check for the in-depth comparison and which one is right for you.
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This is the last Podman Cheat Sheet you’ll ever need. Why?
Because it’s not just a list of commands—it’s a shortcut to make your work easier, faster, and more effective.
Stop wasting time digging through documentation. With this cheat sheet, you’ll get exactly what you need, right when you need it.
Understanding Podman and Docker
Podman provides the drop-in replacement by providing the alias for Docker, you have the same Docker CLI command but there’s one key difference.
Podman runs rootless by default. You don’t need the root privileges makes it secure. Both the Podman and Docker have the same CLI commands and image format, you can use the same Docker understanding and apply with the Podman.
This means you can use the Docker Hub container registry and pre-built Docker images directly with your machine.
Feature: Podman Pull Docker Image
- Secure by Default: Podman runs the rootless container, and makes it secure!
- Restricted Access: Users don’t need to have the root privileges for pulling Docker image
- Existing Workflow: Utilize the same Docker image knowledge and integrate with Podman.
Let’s explore how Podman provides the identical Docker CLI for the Podman pull Docker image.
Prerequisites:
Before we start, check the below requirements:
1. Podman Installed:
This one is obvious and I assume you already have the Podman installed and running. If you need to install the Podman you can follow the official Podman documentation. If you want to utilize the new feature and platform-specific build check the below article:
2. Docker Hub Account ( Optional ):
This step is optional but Docker Hub has some rate limits and sometimes restricts you from accessing the private repository. You can create a free Docker Hub account from the official Docker HUB.
Podman Pull Docker Image: Hands-on
Enough of theory, let’s check the practical for Podman pull Docker image with a hands-on approach.
Basic Pull Command:
Pulling container images is the straightforward way:
podman pull <image_name>Let’s say you want to pull the container image alpine:
podmman pull alpinePodman will use the “latest” tag for the image if you don’t mention
Specify an Image Tag:
You can pull the specific version of the image by specifying the <tag>:
podman pull <image_name>:<tag>Let’s say you want to pull the “3.17” version of “Python”:
podman pull python:3.17One thing you may have noticed here, commands are essentially the same docker pull and podman pull
Podman Pull Docker Image:
When pulling from the Docker Hub you can use the registry name along with the image:
podman pull <registry_url>/<image_name>:<tag>Let’s say you want to pull the nginx image from the Docker Hub:
podman pull docker.io/library/nginx:latestPodman Pull Docker Image with Shortname:
If you don’t want to define the docker.io prefix all the time when you pull the image from Docker Hub, you can use the Podman feature called “unqualified search registries”:
The default location for the configuration is: /etc/containers/registries.conf
Let’s modify the file to support the short name
nano /etc/containers/registries.conf
# Add the below line to enable Podman pull Docker Image
unqualified-search-registries = ["docker.io"]Now you can use the Podman pull command for the Docker image directly:
podman pull nginx:latestShortname Alias in Podman Registry
Podman can pull images from all kinds of registries private or public. But the important thing to understand here is the Shortname Alias when “Podman Pull Docker image” or from other registries.
When you pull the container image nginx, instead of writing the whole image location docker.io/library/nginx:latest, you can use the nginx:latest.
This is called the surname alias, this is a super helpful feature to use the short name instead of the full URL but that can cause the issue as Podman doesn’t;t know the exact registry to pull from.
Unqualified Search Registries
Podman maintains the list of “unqualified search registries” for finding the container image when using the short name alias.
There’s a security issue if the attack modifies the short-name-aliases.conf file that Podman uses, it can make the user download a malicious image.
# Root
/var/cache/containers/short-name-aliases.conf
# Rotless
$HOME/.cache/containers/short-name-aliases.confBest Practices for the Shotname Alias
Shortname alias provides the shortcut for the container image. I strongly advised using the fully-qualified image name for clarity and security to eliminate the possibility of malicious code pull.
FREE Podman Cheat Sheet (Everything You Need, In One Place)
This is the last Podman Cheat Sheet you’ll ever need. Why?
Because it’s not just a list of commands—it’s a shortcut to make your work easier, faster, and more effective.
Stop wasting time digging through documentation. With this cheat sheet, you’ll get exactly what you need, right when you need it.
Advanced Podman Pull Docker Image Options
Podman offers a variety of ways to pull the container images, using this advanced option is helpful for complex workflow setups.
Pull Image by Digest:
Using the latest tag is not advisable for the production image as tags can change over time.
Consistency is important in a production environment for that you can use this command to guarantee specific image versions:
podman pull <image_name>@<digest>Let’s say you want to pull the specific image digest for the alpine:
podman pull alpine@sha256:d7342993700f8cd7aba8496c2d0e57be0666e80b4c441925fc6f9361fa81d10ePull Multiple Images at Once:
You can pull multiple images at once to save time with a single command:
podman pull <image1> <image2> <image3>Let’s say you want to download busybox, alpine and nginx:
podman pull busybox:latest alpine docker.io/library/nginxTroubleshooting Podman Pull Issues:
Podman pull container image is straightforward but occasionally you might encounter errors. The most common command errors and solutions are the below:
1. Network Connectivity
This is a common error when you have unstable internet connectivity. Ensure you have a stable internet connection and additionally verify with pining the server 8.8.8.8
ping 8.8.8.82. Registry Issue
Ensure the remote registry you’re trying to use is accessible and not facing downtime. If the registry has the health or service status page check for the additional information.
3. Authentication Error
This is a most common issue when pulling the container image from the private registry, double-check your authentication credentials.
5. Image Not Found
Check for the misspelled image name or the tag while Podman pull the Docker image. If you pull an image that doesn’t exist on the registry you face this issue.
Conclusion:
Podman Pull Docker Image is a simple method to pull the container image from the Docker Hub.
- Use the full-qualified image name and avoid the short name.
- Use the
registries.conffor the “unqualified-search-registries”
Additional Reading
FREE Podman Cheat Sheet (Everything You Need, In One Place)
This is the last Podman Cheat Sheet you’ll ever need. Why?
Because it’s not just a list of commands—it’s a shortcut to make your work easier, faster, and more effective.
Stop wasting time digging through documentation. With this cheat sheet, you’ll get exactly what you need, right when you need it.
