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Install on Windows

Red Hat build of Podman Desktop 0.9

Explore how you can install Red Hat build of Podman Desktop on Windows.

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Abstract

Use the installer file to install Red Hat build of Podman Desktop. Complete the installation by setting up the necessary Podman engine and an initial Podman machine.

Preface
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On Windows, Red Hat build of Podman Desktop requires a lightweight Linux virtual machine known as the Podman machine. Key installation aspects include:

  • Installation methods: Install Red Hat build of Podman Desktop using the Windows installer.
  • Container engine provider: Select between Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2 (WSL 2), which is the recommended default for ease of use and performance, or Hyper-V to provision the Podman machine.
  • Requirements: Administrator privileges are required during installation to enable the WSL feature and set up the Podman machine. The environment requires a 64-bit Windows 11 OS and a minimum of 6 GB RAM for the Podman virtual machine.
  • Setup: After installing the application, the onboarding workflow guides you through installing the Podman engine, creating the default Podman machine, and optionally installing necessary CLIs like kubectl and compose.

Chapter 1. Install using the Windows installer
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Install the Red Hat build of Podman Desktop using the Windows installer to simplify the setup process. This installer automatically configures the application and prepares the necessary environment for you.

Prerequisites

Procedure

  1. Download the installer file:

    1. Go to the Products section of the website.
    2. Search for Red Hat build of Podman Desktop, and click the filtered link.
    3. Click Download Red Hat build of Podman Desktop at no cost.
  2. Locate the file in the Downloads folder, and double-click it. The Red Hat build of Podman Desktop Setup screen opens.
  3. Select whether to install the application for all users or only for the current user.
  4. Click Install.
  5. After the installation is complete, click Finish to close the screen.

Verification

  • Check that the Get started with Red Hat build of Podman Desktop screen opens after installation.

Next steps

Chapter 2. Install Podman
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On Windows, running the Podman container engine requires a Linux distribution to run in a virtual machine. You can use Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2 (WSL 2) or Hyper-V as the machine provider.

During Podman installation, ensure that you have administrator privileges for the following tasks:

  • Enable the WSL or Hyper-V feature to allow users to set up Podman.
  • Set up a Podman machine using Hyper-V as the machine provider type.

2.1. Use WSL2 as the machine provider
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Red Hat build of Podman Desktop helps you to create a Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2 (WSL 2) virtual machine, also known as the Podman machine. The major benefits are:

  • Ease of use.
  • WSL2 native virtualization performance.

However, you must enable the WSL feature. This is required by Red Hat build of Podman Desktop to create the default wsl Podman machine.

Prerequisites

Before using WSL2 as the machine provider, ensure that your environment meets the following requirements:

  • 6 GB of RAM for the Podman machine.

  • Required WSL 2 prerequisites:

    • Administrator privileges for the Windows user.
    • A Windows 11 (64-bit) machine.
    • Enable nested virtualization on a virtual machine.

Procedure

  1. Run the following commands to enable the WSL feature without installing the default Ubuntu distribution of Linux: 

    > wsl --update
> wsl --install --no-distribution
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap
  2. Restart your machine.

Verification

  • Run the wsl --status command in the CLI to check that WSL 2 is available.

2.2. Use Hyper-V as the machine provider
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As an administrator, you can set up a Podman machine using Hyper-V as the provider. Hyper-V on Windows offers the following benefits:

  • Run multiple operating systems on a single machine.
  • Speed up virtual machine deployment.
  • Enhance security through environment isolation.
  • Simplify management using native Windows tools and PowerShell.

You must enable the Hyper-V feature. This is required by Red Hat build of Podman Desktop to create the Hyperv Podman machine.

Prerequisites

Before using Hyper-V as the machine provider, ensure that your environment meets the following requirements:

  • 6 GB of RAM for the Podman machine.

  • Required Hyper-V prerequisites:

    • Administrator privileges for the Windows user.
    • A Windows 11 (64-bit) machine.
    • Enable nested virtualization on a virtual machine.

Procedure

  1. Run the following command to enable the Hyper-V feature:

    Using command prompt

    > DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

    Using PowerShell

    > Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

  2. Restart your machine.

Verification

  • Check that Hyper-V is active.

    Using command prompt

    > systeminfo
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

    Using PowerShell

    > Get-Service vmcompute
    Copy to Clipboard Toggle word wrap

When the Red Hat build of Podman Desktop installation completes, the Get started with Red Hat build of Podman Desktop screen opens. This screen helps you to start the onboarding process. You can use it to install Podman, the kubectl CLI, and the compose CLI. Alternatively, you can completely skip this onboarding setup. You can always complete the setup later by using one of the following ways:

  • Use the Set up button in the notification on the Dashboard page.
  • Use the Setup Podman button on the Podman tile, located on the Settings > Resources page.

Procedure

  1. On the Get started with Red Hat build of Podman Desktop screen, click Start Onboarding.

  2. Perform the following steps to install Podman:

    1. Click Next. A confirmation notification opens.
    2. Click Yes. The Podman Setup screen opens with the default WSLv2 virtualization provider selected.
    3. Optional: If you want to use the Windows Hyper-V provider, select the other option.
    4. Click Install. A notification stating Installation Successfully Completed appears on the screen.
    5. Click Close. A page notifying that Podman is set up correctly opens.

  3. Perform the following steps to create a Podman machine:

    1. Click Next. A page notifying you to create a Podman machine opens.

    2. Click Next, and then click Create.

      Note

      You can also create additional Podman machines of any provider type later. For more details, refer to Configure a Podman machine.

  4. Click Next, and follow the instructions on the screen to install the kubectl and compose CLIs.
  5. After installing the CLIs, click Next to go to the Dashboard page.

Verification

  • Go to the Settings > Resources page, and view the running Podman machine on the Podman tile.

You are ready to use the application.

Legal Notice
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The text of and illustrations in this document are licensed by Red Hat under a Creative Commons Attribution–Share Alike 3.0 Unported license ("CC-BY-SA"). An explanation of CC-BY-SA is available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. In accordance with CC-BY-SA, if you distribute this document or an adaptation of it, you must provide the URL for the original version.
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