# podup
[](https://github.com/Glyndor/podup/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
[](https://github.com/Glyndor/podup/actions/workflows/release.yml)
**podup** runs your `docker-compose.yml` on rootless Podman β a single static
binary, written in Rust, with no daemon and no Python runtime.
<p align="center">
<img src="docs/assets/podup-demo.gif" alt="podup up and podup ps running a compose stack on rootless Podman" width="760">
</p>
```mermaid
flowchart LR
A["docker-compose.yml"] --> B["podup"]
B -->|"parse Β· substitute Β· order"| C["Podman REST API"]
C --> D["containers"]
C --> E["networks"]
C --> F["volumes"]
```
## β¨ Features
- π **Drop-in workflow** β `up`, `down`, `start`, `stop`, `ps`, `logs`, `exec`, `run`, `cp`, `build`, `pull`, `restart`, `rm`, `kill`, `pause`, `unpause`, `top`, `port`, `images`, `volumes`, `events`, `config` β¦and more β see the [command reference](docs/commands.md)
- π **Rootless by design** β drives rootless Podman over its native libpod REST API
- π **Compose-spec parsing** β YAML anchors, `extends`, `include`, profiles, `env_file`, variable substitution with modifiers
- π **Dependency-aware** β `depends_on` ordering with `service_started`, `service_healthy`, and `service_completed_successfully` conditions
- π’ **Replicas** β `scale:`/`deploy.replicas`, the `scale` command, and `up --scale SERVICE=N`, with named replica containers
- π **Secrets & configs** β inline content, file, environment, and `external: true` Podman-native secret sources, staged securely
- π **Watch mode** β sync, rebuild or restart services on file changes per `develop.watch` rules
- βοΈ **Systemd Quadlet export** β `generate quadlet` emits native `podman-systemd.unit` files to run your stack under systemd, no daemon
- β¨οΈ **Shell completions** β `completions <shell>` for bash, zsh, fish and more (the Debian package installs them)
- π¦ **Single binary** β statically musl-linked on Linux, no runtime dependencies
- π¦ **Library too** β embed the parser and engine in your own Rust project
## π₯ Install
Linux and macOS:
```bash
Windows (PowerShell):
```powershell
Binaries for Linux and macOS (x86_64 and arm64) plus Windows (x86_64 and
arm64), SHA-256 verified, with build provenance attestations. On macOS and
Windows, podup talks to the `podman machine` VM through its host-side socket or
named pipe. Both installers verify the Ed25519 signature over `SHA256SUMS` (or
the GitHub build-provenance attestation) and fail closed otherwise. Or build
from source:
```bash
cargo build --release
```
### Debian / Ubuntu (apt)
On Debian and Ubuntu (amd64 and arm64), install from the Glyndor apt repository
so updates arrive through `apt upgrade`:
```bash
This installs the `glyndor-archive-keyring` package (registering the signed
repository at `https://apt.glyndor.net`) and then `podup`. Because the signing
key ships as a package, key renewals are picked up automatically by `apt
upgrade`; the apt build omits self-update, since apt owns upgrades. To set it up
by hand:
```bash
curl -fsSLO https://apt.glyndor.net/glyndor-archive-keyring.deb
sudo dpkg -i glyndor-archive-keyring.deb
sudo apt update && sudo apt install podup
```
### Updating
```bash
podup update # download and install the latest signed release
podup update --check # report whether a newer release exists, install nothing
```
`podup update` replaces the running binary in place, but only after verifying
the release's Ed25519 signature against the public key embedded in your build
and matching its SHA-256 checksum. It fails closed: a bad signature, missing
key, or checksum mismatch aborts before the installed binary is touched. See
[docs/self-update.md](docs/self-update.md) for the trust model. Installing into
a system directory (e.g. `/usr/local/bin`) needs elevation β re-run with `sudo`.
## π Quick start
```bash
podup up --detach # docker-compose.yml in the current directory
podup -f stack.yml -p myapp up -d # explicit file and project name
podup ps # list project containers
podup logs api --follow # follow one service's logs
podup down --volumes # tear down, removing named volumes
podup generate quadlet -o ~/.config/containers/systemd # emit systemd Quadlet units
```
## βοΈ vs. alternatives
| Engine | rootless Podman | Docker daemon | Podman |
| Runtime | single static binary | Go binary + Docker daemon | Python + pip packages |
| Root required | no | typically yes (daemon) | no |
| Implementation | Rust | Go | Python |
| Podman API | native libpod REST | n/a | Podman CLI shell-out |
| Systemd Quadlet export | yes (`generate quadlet`) | no | no |
| Platforms | Linux Β· macOS Β· Windows (single binary) | Linux Β· macOS Β· Windows | wherever Python runs |
| Compose-spec depth | `extends`, profiles, `develop.watch`, inline secrets/configs | full | partial |
## π¦ Library usage
```rust
use podup::{parse_file, podman, Engine};
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> podup::Result<()> {
let file = parse_file(std::path::Path::new("docker-compose.yml"))?;
let client = podman::connect(None)?;
let engine = Engine::new(client, "myproject".to_string());
engine.up(&file).await?;
Ok(())
}
```
```toml
[dependencies]
podup = "1"
```
## π Stability & versioning
podup follows [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/). From **1.0.0** onward:
- The CLI surface (subcommands, flags, exit codes) and the library surface re-exported from the crate root (`parse_file`, `collect_diagnostics`, `Engine`, `ComposeError`, β¦) are covered by the stability guarantee. Breaking changes bump the major version and are called out in the release notes.
- Public enums and the compose/quadlet result structs are `#[non_exhaustive]`, so new variants and fields can be added in a minor release without breaking downstream code β always include a wildcard arm and avoid exhaustive struct construction.
- The libpod wire types are an internal implementation detail (not re-exported) and may change in any release.
- **MSRV: Rust 1.85.** A bump to the minimum supported Rust version is a minor-version change, never a patch.
## π Docs
- [Command reference](docs/commands.md) β every subcommand, its options, and what it does
- [Migrating from Docker Compose](docs/docker-migration.md) β compatibility guide, rootless differences, deprecated fields
- [Self-update](docs/self-update.md) β the `podup update` trust model and verification flow
- [Security model](docs/security-model.md) β privilege posture, trust boundaries, SBOM and air-gap notes
- [Debian packaging](docs/debian-packaging.md) β building and distributing a `.deb`
## Contributing & security
See the org-wide [contributing guide](https://github.com/Glyndor/.github/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md).
Report vulnerabilities privately via the Security tab β never in a public issue.
## License
[Apache-2.0](LICENSE)