Container Desktop

Podman Desktop Companion

Documentation

Full project documentation lives in docs/:

• Architecture
  • Overview
  • Backend
  • Frontend
  • AI subsystem
  • Connection startup
  • Engine matrix
  • Notes / principles
• Guides
  • Development
  • Testing
  • Usage
  • LIMA setup
• Project
  • TODO / roadmap
  • Changelog

Author notes

• No telemetry
• Identical UI on all platforms
• Dynamic engine based theme

Requirements

• Linux - Install podman - note that distributions usually have older versions of podman, see Aalvistack for the most recent repositories. Additional packages besides podman may be required, such as aardvark-dns and passt for networking (https://passt.top/passt/about/). If one wants to add support for docker container engine, the easiest is to install rootless docker as documented here https://linuxhandbook.com/rootless-docker/
• Windows - Install podman or provision your favorite WSL distribution with latest podman by following the instructions above for Linux. On your custom WSL distribution, the engine's own system dial-stdio bridges its unix socket back to the Windows native context (named pipe ↔ wsl.exe stdio — no TCP listener or SSH server inside the distribution).
• MacOS - Install podman or lima

Usage

• See docs/usage.md

Familiar interface

Containers management

Image building

AI assistant

Podman is the driving engine

Multiple engines and remote connections supported