How to start podman compose containers on system boot?

With docker-compose, containers would start on boot. It was maybe because I had restart: always on.

Is there a way something similar with podman-compose?

I see mentions of creating custom systemd scripts to run podman-compose to start containers, but is there something already baked in podman-compose that I can use?

6 points · 11 comments · view on lemmy.world

11 Comments

hosaka@programming.dev · 8 pts · 231d (3 replies)

Podman Quadlets is what you're after, I think.

dudesss@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 223d (2 replies)

I implemented these, but my containers are not starting on system boot. I even set restart: always

hosaka@programming.dev · 2 pts · 222d (1 reply)

Might be obvious but did you enable the Quadlets? So systemctl enable quadlet.service or whatever the equivalent is. I think the quadlet is just a regular systemd unit.

Edit: I noticed you already got an answer!

dudesss@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 222d

No need to enable, it won't work nor do anything. Do need to systemctl --user daemon-reload

lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.org · 5 pts · 231d

Not something baked-in, no, since the entire point of podman is that it's server- (service-)less.

However they do have a command to manually launch the respective user's podman manager, which IIRC is podman system service -t0 (note: runs in the foreground) so if you add that to a service entry (eg.: via runit user units or systemd user scopes) or just launch it via your user crontab's @reboot, it should work without issues.

This is literally my runit user unit for podman:

#!/bin/sh
export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000
exec podman system service -t0

Feyd@programming.dev · 2 pts · 231d (5 replies)

You're looking for podlets

dudesss@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 231d

This looks great! But I'm seeing here that it hasn't been updated since November 2024.

https://github.com/containers/podlet

dudesss@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 222d (3 replies)

Any idea how I can get Quadlet to start on system boot?

Feyd@programming.dev · 3 pts · 222d (2 replies)

https://man.archlinux.org/man/quadlet.5.en#Enabling_unit_files

dudesss@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 222d (1 reply)

This worked! I searched through so many threads trying to find an answer, and this was the answer. Thank you so much. I only needed the below text added to my ~/.config/containers/systemd/my-custom-quadlet.container. Nice and simple:

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

Feyd@programming.dev · 2 pts · 222d

Happy to help! Arch wiki is often a great resource even when using other distros