Feature Overview

This feature will provide customers with easy access to the latest versions of podman, buildah, and skopeo. This will provide developers and fast moving operations teams access to the latest tools on a stable platform of RHEL. 

Goals

Provide users with the latest versions of Podman/Buildah/Skopeo. Speed should be prioritized over stability. This meets the same use case that we tackled in RHEL 8 and RHEL 9. See more:

• [Blog|https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/rhel-8-enables-containers-tools-software-craftsmanship-0]
• [Presentation|https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12erz2xtMoveXHMaWG-HL3LODCqWlBloW2nqzFI89BJ4/edit]

Requirements

A list of specific needs or objectives that a Feature must deliver to satisfy the Feature.. Some requirements will be flagged as MVP. If an MVP gets shifted, the feature shifts.  If a non MVP requirement slips, it does not shift the feature.

 
 
Install latest container-tools:

[root@rhel-beta ~]# yum install container-tools

The user should something like below for podman, buildah, and skopeo:

[root@rhel ~]# podman version
Version: 5.0+
RemoteAPI Version: 2

...
 

Run the podman, buildah or skopeo:

[root@rhel ~]# podman run -it ubi10 bash
[root@0aaddfba5fb2 /]#

Background, and strategic fit

This is convenient for developers testing and building on RHEL systems, especially those moving from docker to podman. Updating container-tools every 12 weeks will give developers the confidence that RHEL can move fast, while giving operations the piece of mind they need with the stable stream (which will stay the same). This will be an update of major tools in the container-tools: fast stream. 

Podman and its dependencies are delivered in two AppStreams in RHEL - one fast stream updated up to four times per year and multiple stable streams released once a year. The feature hungry user can get access to the latest tools, while the stability seeking production user can install once, and defer to Red Hat to worry about security updates: 

Assumptions

• Developers will install the container-tools:latest fast moving stream
• Developers and people seeking features will trade stability for speed

Customer Considerations

Developers need access to the latest Podman features to justify moving away from Docker CE/EE will benefit from this packaging in RHEL 8+.

In the early RHEL 7 era, users had quick access to the latest versions of Docker. In the later era of RHEL 7, the docker package was basically frozen. Customers have slowly migrated to podman, but with RHEL 8 and now RHEL 9, there is a new opportunity to provide new value.

Documentation Considerations

Update the Containers Guide for RHEL 8 should be updated to include any major or moderate new features of podman, buildah and skopeo: https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/8/html/building_running_and_managing_containers/index

Success looks like:

1. Docs will capture any noteworthy features from upstream (Derrick and David Darrah)
1. QE testing any noteworthy features which are documented (David Darrah)