Allow using podman as an alternative building backend
- Dominant language
- Python
- Stars
- 3.3k
- Forks
- 549
- Avg merge
- 1d 4h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 40
Description
**Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.**
Briefcase is currently using Docker as its building backend in Linux. This requires Docker to be installed and **callable in non-root environment**, which can be achieved by adding users to `docker` group. But as is mentioned in Docker's documentation, this operation **grants privileges equivalent to the root user to normal user**. Although Docker does provide an experimental rootless mode, `podman` seems to be more stable, and is adopted by distributions like Fedora as the replacement to Docker.
(However most developers don't use a multi-user machine so this issue seems to be superfluous lolol)
**Describe the solution you'd like**
On the website of podman, it says `alias docker=podman`. I hope implementing it won't be difficult.
**Describe alternatives you've considered**
[Rootless Docker](https://docs.docker.com/engine/security/rootless/)
Contributor guide
Research direction
No file or test is named in the issue. Start by locating Briefcase’s Linux build backend and the existing Docker command path; compare Podman’s compatibility there, with done defined as supporting Podman as an alternative without breaking Docker builds.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- docker, linux, python
- Domain
- build-system, devops, operating-systems
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100