Podman is an open‑source container engine designed for running, building, and managing containers — just like Docker. It supports the same container standards, and its CLI is Docker‑compatible. Most Docker commands work directly with Podman.
Podman has some key differences that enhance the security posture of Ansys HPC Platform Services:
| Docker | Podman | |
|---|---|---|
| Container support |
Rootful containers Runs containers with root privileges on the host system |
Rootless containers Runs containers under a standard Unix user account on the host system |
| Security | Potentially higher security risks if the container is compromised, as the attacker can gain root access on the host | Increased security as a compromised container cannot escalate privileges to root |
| Limitations | Higher security risks as described above | May have limitations in certain operations, such as creating new devices or loopback mount points, which require root privileges |