A container registry is a web service that stores, distributes, and serves container images. Podman copies images from registries into local container storage, where it can unpack and run them. section 1.2.3 section 2.2.4
An image reference identifies a registry, repository, image name, and tag. For example, registry.access.redhat.com/ubi8/httpd-24:latest identifies the registry and image explicitly. Podman can also resolve short names such as ubi8/httpd-24 through configured registries. section 1.3.9 section 2.2.8
Podman uses registries through several operational paths:
- Pull images with podman pull; commands such as podman run may pull a missing image automatically. section 2.2.8
- Push images with podman push, copying image layers from local storage to a registry; authenticate first with podman login when required. section 2.2.4
- Select among multiple registries for a short name, then persist the selected alias for later use. section 1.3.9
- Configure search registries, aliases, mirrors, blocked registries, and policies requiring signed images. section 1.3.9 section 2.2.8
Pull, run, and publish an image
podman pull quay.io/rhatdan/myimage podman run registry.access.redhat.com/ubi8/httpd-24:latest echo hello podman push myimage quay.io/rhatdan/myimage The docker:// transport is Podman’s default and may be omitted. A locally created image such as localhost/myimage needs an explicit remote destination when it is pushed. section 2.2.4 section 2.2.8
$ podman pull ubi8/httpd-24
? Please select an image:
registry.fedoraproject.org/ubi8/httpd-24:latest
▸ registry.access.redhat.com/ubi8/httpd-24:latest
docker.io/ubi8/httpd-24:latest
quay.io/ubi8/httpd-24:latest
Inspect the interactive registry choices Podman presents when resolving the short name ubi8/httpd-24. section 1.3.9
