Summary: Modify the Podman installation process on Windows to no longer require administrator privileges, allowing for rootless installation and usage.

Description:

Currently, installing Podman on Windows typically requires administrative privileges, which can be a significant barrier for users operating in restricted environments or those who prefer a completely rootless setup. This limitation forces users to elevate permissions even for basic installation, which is inconsistent with the rootless philosophy Podman promotes on Linux and macOS.

This story aims to address this by redesigning the Windows installation process to allow for a true rootless installation. This means a user should be able to download and install Podman without needing administrator rights, and subsequently run Podman containers and related commands entirely within their user context. This directly addresses the need for a more flexible and less privileged installation experience on Windows, as detailed in https://github.com/containers/podman/issues/25723.

Proposed Solution:

• Investigate MSI/Installer Changes: Analyze the existing Windows installer (MSI) and identify modifications needed to support a user-level installation without requiring administrator rights. This might involve changes to installation paths, registry entries, and service registrations.

• User-Specific Paths: Ensure that Podman components, configuration files, and data directories are installed and configured within the user's profile directory (e.g., AppData\Local or Program Files\Podman within the user's scope) rather than system-wide locations requiring administrative access. This also includes removing any "Red Hat" specific branding or paths to ensure vendor neutrality, given Podman's status as a CNCF project.

• Dependency Management: Review and adapt how Podman's Windows dependencies (e.g., WSL2 integration, network setup) are handled to function correctly in a rootless installation context. This may involve leveraging existing user-level capabilities or identifying alternatives.

• Path and Environment Setup: Ensure that the necessary executables are added to the user's PATH environment variable correctly without requiring system-wide modifications.

• Documentation Update: Revise the Windows installation documentation to clearly outline the new rootless installation method and any differences from the traditional administrator-required installation.

Acceptance Criteria:

• A standard Windows user (without administrator privileges) can successfully download and install Podman.

• Post-installation, the rootless user can execute basic podman commands (e.g., podman info, podman run hello-world) without requiring elevation.

• Podman's data and configuration are stored within the user's profile, respecting Windows user permissions.

• The installation process does not leave behind artifacts or require permissions that necessitate administrator rights.

• All installation paths and branding are vendor-neutral, with no references to "Red Hat" remaining.

• Documentation is updated to provide clear instructions for rootless installation on Windows.

• Automated tests are in place to verify the rootless installation process on Windows.