Working with Containers on Linux: Docker & Podman Made Simple

Table of Contents

• Why Containers? The Real-World Benefits

• Docker Basics: The Industry Standard

• Podman: The New Kid with Serious Advantages

• Docker vs. Podman: What’s the Difference?

• Everyday Commands (with Examples)

• When to Use Each Tool

• Wrapping Up

Why Containers? The Real-World Benefits

Let’s face it: deploying apps on Linux can get messy. Containers solve that.

• Consistency: Run your app the same way everywhere-dev, test, prod

• Isolation: No more “it works on my machine” headaches

• Portability: Move containers across clouds and servers with ease

• Speed: Spin up and tear down environments in seconds

Docker Basics: The Industry Standard

Docker has been the go-to for containers since 2013.

• What it does: Packages your app and its dependencies into a single,
  portable image.

• Core components:

  • Docker Engine (runs containers)
  • Docker CLI (your main tool)
  • Docker Hub (public image registry)

• Why people love it:

  • Huge community and tons of pre-built images
  • Easy to get started, even for beginners

Podman: The New Kid with Serious Advantages

Podman is Docker’s younger, security-focused sibling.

• Daemonless: No central background service. You run containers
  directly

• Rootless by default: Run containers as a regular user-no sudo
  needed.

• Docker-compatible: Most Docker commands work out of the box

• Lightweight: Lower resource use, faster start-up times

• Security: Each container process is tied to the user who started
  it, making auditing and security tighter

Docker vs. Podman: What’s the Difference?

Here’s a quick rundown:

Everyday Commands (with Examples)

Docker:

Run a container
docker run -it ubuntu bash

List running containers
docker ps

Build an image
docker build -t myapp .

Stop a container
docker stop

Podman:

Same commands work!
podman run -it ubuntu bash
podman ps
podman build -t myapp .
podman stop

Switching from Docker to Podman? Just swap the command name!

• Use Docker if:

  • You rely on Docker Compose or Docker Swarm
  • You want the broadest compatibility and community support
  • You’re working in environments where Docker is already the standard.

• Use Podman if:

  • Security is a top concern (rootless, no daemon).
  • You want lightweight, fast containers
  • You need tight systemd integration or want to generate unit files easily
  • You’re running containers on a multi-user system

When to Use Each Tool

• Use Docker if:

  • You rely on Docker Compose or Docker Swarm
  • You want the broadest compatibility and community support
  • You’re working in environments where Docker is already the standard

Wrapping Up

• Containers are the backbone of modern Linux workflows, and both
  Docker and Podman make life easier.

• Docker is still the king for many, but Podman is catching
  up fast-especially if you care about security or running containers
  as a regular user.

The best part? You don’t have to choose just one.

Try both, see what fits your workflow, and enjoy the freedom containers bring to Linux.

Happy containerizing!