% podman-create 1

## NAME
podman\-create - Create a new container

## SYNOPSIS
**podman create** [*options*] *image* [*command* [*arg* ...]]

**podman container create** [*options*] *image* [*command* [*arg* ...]]

## DESCRIPTION

Creates a writable container layer over the specified image and prepares it for
running the specified command. The container ID is then printed to STDOUT. This
is similar to **podman run -d** except the container is never started. Use the
**podman start** *container* command to start the container at any point.

The initial status of the container created with **podman create** is 'created'.

Default settings for flags are defined in `containers.conf`. Most settings for
remote connections use the server's containers.conf, except when documented in
man pages.

## IMAGE

  The image is specified using transport:path format. If no transport is specified, the `docker` (container registry)
transport is used by default. For remote Podman, including Mac and Windows (excluding WSL2) machines, `docker` is the only allowed transport.

  **dir:**_path_
  An existing local directory _path_ storing the manifest, layer tarballs and signatures as individual files. This
is a non-standardized format, primarily useful for debugging or noninvasive container inspection.

    $ podman save --format docker-dir fedora -o /tmp/fedora
    $ podman create dir:/tmp/fedora echo hello

  **docker://**_docker-reference_ (Default)
  An image reference stored in  a remote container image registry. Example: "quay.io/podman/stable:latest".
The reference can include a path to a specific registry; if it does not, the
registries listed in registries.conf is queried to find a matching image.
By default, credentials from `podman login` (stored at
$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/containers/auth.json by default) is used to authenticate;
otherwise it falls back to using credentials in $HOME/.docker/config.json.

    $ podman create registry.fedoraproject.org/fedora:latest echo hello

  **docker-archive:**_path_[**:**_docker-reference_]
An image stored in the `docker save` formatted file. _docker-reference_ is only used when creating such a
file, and it must not contain a digest.

    $ podman save --format docker-archive fedora -o /tmp/fedora
    $ podman create docker-archive:/tmp/fedora echo hello

  **docker-daemon:**_docker-reference_
  An image in _docker-reference_ format stored in the docker daemon internal storage. The _docker-reference_ can also be an image ID (docker-daemon:algo:digest).

    $ sudo docker pull fedora
    $ sudo podman create docker-daemon:docker.io/library/fedora echo hello

  **oci-archive:**_path_**:**_tag_
  An image in a directory compliant with the "Open Container Image Layout Specification" at the specified _path_
and specified with a _tag_.

    $ podman save --format oci-archive fedora -o /tmp/fedora
    $ podman create oci-archive:/tmp/fedora echo hello

## OPTIONS

@@option add-host

@@option annotation.container

@@option arch

@@option attach

@@option authfile

@@option blkio-weight

@@option blkio-weight-device

@@option cap-add

@@option cap-drop

@@option cgroup-conf

@@option cgroup-parent

@@option cgroupns

@@option cgroups

@@option chrootdirs

@@option cidfile.write

@@option conmon-pidfile

@@option cpu-period

@@option cpu-quota

@@option cpu-rt-period

@@option cpu-rt-runtime

@@option cpu-shares

@@option cpus.container

@@option cpuset-cpus

@@option cpuset-mems

@@option decryption-key

@@option device

Note: if the user only has access rights via a group, accessing the device
from inside a rootless container fails. Use the `--group-add keep-groups`
flag to pass the user's supplementary group access into the container.

@@option device-cgroup-rule

@@option device-read-bps

@@option device-read-iops

@@option device-write-bps

@@option device-write-iops

@@option disable-content-trust

@@option dns

This option cannot be combined with **--network** that is set to **none** or **container:**_id_.

@@option dns-option.container

@@option dns-search.container

@@option entrypoint

@@option env

See [**Environment**](#environment) note below for precedence and examples.

@@option env-file

See [**Environment**](#environment) note below for precedence and examples.

@@option env-host

@@option env-merge

@@option expose

@@option gidmap.container

@@option gpus

@@option group-add

@@option group-entry

@@option health-cmd

@@option health-interval

@@option health-log-destination

@@option health-max-log-count

@@option health-max-log-size

@@option health-on-failure

@@option health-retries

@@option health-start-period

@@option health-startup-cmd

@@option health-startup-interval

@@option health-startup-retries

@@option health-startup-success

@@option health-startup-timeout

@@option health-timeout

#### **--help**

Print usage statement

@@option hostname.container

@@option hosts-file

@@option hostuser

@@option http-proxy

@@option image-volume

@@option init

#### **--init-ctr**=*type*

(Pods only).
When using pods, create an init style container, which is run after the infra container is started
but before regular pod containers are started.  Init containers are useful for running
setup operations for the pod's applications.

Valid values for `init-ctr` type are *always* or *once*.  The *always* value
means the container runs with each and every `pod start`, whereas the *once*
value means the container only runs once when the pod is started and then the container is removed.

Init containers are only run on pod `start`.  Restarting a pod does not execute
any init containers.  Furthermore, init containers can only be created in a
pod when that pod is not running.

@@option init-path

@@option interactive

@@option ip

@@option ip6

@@option ipc

@@option label

@@option label-file

@@option link-local-ip

@@option log-driver

@@option log-opt

@@option mac-address

@@option memory

@@option memory-reservation

@@option memory-swap

@@option memory-swappiness

@@option mount

@@option name.container

@@option network

Invalid if using **--dns**, **--dns-option**, or **--dns-search** with **--network** set to **none** or **container:**_id_.

If used together with **--pod**, the container does not join the pod's network namespace.

@@option network-alias

@@option no-healthcheck

@@option no-hostname

@@option no-hosts

This option conflicts with **--add-host**.

@@option oom-kill-disable

@@option oom-score-adj

@@option os.pull

@@option passwd-entry

@@option personality

@@option pid.container

@@option pidfile

@@option pids-limit

@@option platform

@@option pod.run

@@option pod-id-file.container

@@option privileged

@@option publish

**Note:** If a container runs within a pod, it is not necessary to publish the port for
the containers in the pod. The port must only be published by the pod itself. Pod network
stacks act like the network stack on the host - when there are a variety of containers in the pod,
and programs in the container, all sharing a single interface and IP address, and
associated ports. If one container binds to a port, no other container can use that port
within the pod while it is in use. Containers in the pod can also communicate over localhost
by having one container bind to localhost in the pod, and another connect to that port.

@@option publish-all

@@option pull

#### **--quiet**, **-q**

Suppress output information when pulling images

@@option rdt-class

@@option read-only

@@option read-only-tmpfs

@@option replace

@@option requires

@@option restart

@@option retry

@@option retry-delay

#### **--rm**

Automatically remove the container and any anonymous unnamed volume associated with
the container when it exits. The default is **false**.

@@option rootfs

@@option sdnotify

@@option seccomp-policy

@@option secret

@@option security-opt

@@option shm-size

@@option shm-size-systemd

@@option stop-signal

@@option stop-timeout

@@option subgidname

@@option subuidname

@@option sysctl

@@option systemd

@@option timeout

@@option tls-verify

@@option tmpfs

@@option tty

@@option tz

@@option uidmap.container

@@option ulimit

@@option umask

@@option unsetenv

@@option unsetenv-all

@@option user

@@option userns.container

@@option uts.container

@@option variant.container

@@option volume

Use the **--group-add keep-groups** option to pass the user's supplementary group access into the container.

@@option volumes-from

@@option workdir

## EXAMPLES

Create a container using a local image:
```
$ podman create alpine ls
```

Create a container using a local image and annotate it:
```
$ podman create --annotation HELLO=WORLD alpine ls
```

Create a container using a local image, allocating a pseudo-TTY, keeping stdin open and name it myctr:
```
  podman create -t -i --name myctr alpine ls
```

Running a container in a new user namespace requires a mapping of
the UIDs and GIDs from the host:
```
$ podman create --uidmap 0:30000:7000 --gidmap 0:30000:7000 fedora echo hello
```

Setting automatic user-namespace separated containers:
```
# podman create --userns=auto:size=65536 ubi8-init
```

Configure the timezone in a container:
```
$ podman create --tz=local alpine date
$ podman create --tz=Asia/Shanghai alpine date
$ podman create --tz=US/Eastern alpine date
```

Ensure the first container (container1) is running before the second container (container2) is started:
```
$ podman create --name container1 -t -i fedora bash
$ podman create --name container2 --requires container1 -t -i fedora bash
$ podman start --attach container2
```

Create a container which requires multiple containers:
```
$ podman create --name container1 -t -i fedora bash
$ podman create --name container2 -t -i fedora bash
$ podman create --name container3 --requires container1,container2 -t -i fedora bash
$ podman start --attach container3
```

Expose shared libraries inside of container as read-only using a glob:
```
$ podman create --mount type=glob,src=/usr/lib64/libnvidia\*,ro -i -t fedora /bin/bash
```

Create a container allowing supplemental groups to have access to the volume:
```
$ podman create -v /var/lib/design:/var/lib/design --group-add keep-groups ubi8
```

Configure execution domain for containers using the personality option:
```
$ podman create --name container1 --personality=LINUX32 fedora bash
```

Create a container with external rootfs mounted as an overlay:
```
$ podman create --name container1 --rootfs /path/to/rootfs:O bash
```

Create a container connected to two networks (called net1 and net2) with a static ip:
```
$ podman create --network net1:ip=10.89.1.5 --network net2:ip=10.89.10.10 alpine ip addr
```

### Rootless Containers

Podman runs as a non-root user on most systems. This feature requires that a new enough version of shadow-utils
be installed. The shadow-utils package must include the newuidmap and newgidmap executables.

In order for users to run rootless, there must be an entry for their username in /etc/subuid and /etc/subgid which lists the UIDs for their user namespace.

Rootless Podman works better if the fuse-overlayfs and slirp4netns packages are installed.
The fuse-overlayfs package provides a userspace overlay storage driver, otherwise users need to use
the vfs storage driver, which can be disk space expensive and less performant
than other drivers.

To enable VPN on the container, slirp4netns or pasta needs to be specified;
without either, containers need to be run with the --network=host flag.

## ENVIRONMENT

Environment variables within containers can be set using multiple different options:  This section describes the precedence.

Precedence order (later entries override earlier entries):

- **--env-host** : Host environment of the process executing Podman is added.
- **--http-proxy**: By default, several environment variables are passed in from the host, such as **http_proxy** and **no_proxy**. See **--http-proxy** for details.
- Container image : Any environment variables specified in the container image.
- **--env-file** : Any environment variables specified via env-files. If multiple files specified, then they override each other in order of entry.
- **--env** : Any environment variables specified overrides previous settings.

Create containers and set the environment ending with a __*__.
The trailing __*__ glob functionality is only active when no value is specified:

```
$ export ENV1=a
$ podman create --name ctr1 --env 'ENV*' alpine env
$ podman start --attach ctr1 | grep ENV
ENV1=a
$ podman create --name ctr2 --env 'ENV*=b' alpine env
$ podman start --attach ctr2 | grep ENV
ENV*=b
```

## CONMON

When Podman starts a container it actually executes the conmon program, which
then executes the OCI Runtime.  Conmon is the container monitor.  It is a small
program whose job is to watch the primary process of the container, and if the
container dies, save the exit code.  It also holds open the tty of the
container, so that it can be attached to later. This is what allows Podman to
run in detached mode (backgrounded), so Podman can exit but conmon continues to
run.  Each container has their own instance of conmon. Conmon waits for the
container to exit, gathers and saves the exit code, and then launches a Podman
process to complete the container cleanup, by shutting down the network and
storage.   For more information about conmon, see the conmon(8) man
page.

## FILES

**/etc/subuid**
**/etc/subgid**

NOTE: Use the environment variable `TMPDIR` to change the temporary storage location of downloaded container images. Podman defaults to use `/var/tmp`.

## SEE ALSO
**[podman(1)](podman.1.md)**, **[podman-save(1)](podman-save.1.md)**, **[podman-ps(1)](podman-ps.1.md)**, **[podman-attach(1)](podman-attach.1.md)**, **[podman-pod-create(1)](podman-pod-create.1.md)**, **[podman-port(1)](podman-port.1.md)**, **[podman-start(1)](podman-start.1.md)**, **[podman-kill(1)](podman-kill.1.md)**, **[podman-stop(1)](podman-stop.1.md)**, **[podman-generate-systemd(1)](podman-generate-systemd.1.md)**, **[podman-rm(1)](podman-rm.1.md)**, **[subgid(5)](https://www.unix.com/man-page/linux/5/subgid)**, **[subuid(5)](https://www.unix.com/man-page/linux/5/subuid)**, **[containers.conf(5)](https://github.com/containers/common/blob/main/docs/containers.conf.5.md)**, **[systemd.unit(5)](https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.unit.html)**, **[setsebool(8)](https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man8/setsebool.8.html)**, **[slirp4netns(1)](https://github.com/rootless-containers/slirp4netns/blob/master/slirp4netns.1.md)**, **[pasta(1)](https://passt.top/builds/latest/web/passt.1.html)**, **[fuse-overlayfs(1)](https://github.com/containers/fuse-overlayfs/blob/main/fuse-overlayfs.1.md)**, **proc(5)**, **[conmon(8)](https://github.com/containers/conmon/blob/main/docs/conmon.8.md)**, **personality(2)**

### Troubleshooting

See [podman-troubleshooting(7)](https://github.com/containers/podman/blob/main/troubleshooting.md)
for solutions to common issues.

See [podman-rootless(7)](https://github.com/containers/podman/blob/main/rootless.md)
for rootless issues.

## HISTORY
October 2017, converted from Docker documentation to Podman by Dan Walsh for Podman `<dwalsh@redhat.com>`

November 2014, updated by Sven Dowideit `<SvenDowideit@home.org.au>`

September 2014, updated by Sven Dowideit `<SvenDowideit@home.org.au>`

August 2014, updated by Sven Dowideit `<SvenDowideit@home.org.au>`

## FOOTNOTES
<a name="Footnote1">1</a>: The Podman project is committed to inclusivity, a core value of open source. The `master` and `slave` mount propagation terminology used here is problematic and divisive, and needs to be changed. However, these terms are currently used within the Linux kernel and must be used as-is at this time. When the kernel maintainers rectify this usage, Podman will follow suit immediately.