Do I need Docker experience for the Podman workshop?

No. The workshop starts from scratch and requires no prior container experience. Basic Linux terminal skills are sufficient. If you already have Docker experience, you benefit twice: the Podman CLI is nearly identical to Docker, and you learn the Podman-specific features that Docker does not offer (rootless, Pods, configuration files, Apache 2.0 license).

What is the difference between Podman and Docker?

The three key differences: Architecture: Docker uses a central daemon process, Podman is daemonless. Each container runs as an independent process, no single point of failure Security: Podman runs containers rootless by default (without root privileges). Docker added rootless as an optional mode later Licensing: Docker Desktop costs $9/month per user for companies with 250+ employees. Podman and Podman Desktop are Apache 2.0 licensed and permanently free Podman is CLI-compatible with Docker: your Dockerfiles, images, and most Compose files work without modification.

Can Podman replace Docker Compose?

Yes, and you even have two options: Docker Compose with Podman socket: Podman provides a compatible socket so Docker Compose works transparently with Podman. Your existing compose.yaml files run without changes Podman Compose: A standalone tool that translates Compose files directly into Podman commands, with better rootless container and Pod support In the workshop, you work with both approaches and learn when to use which.

How secure is Podman compared to Docker?

Podman was built with a security-first approach: Rootless by default: Containers run as regular user processes, not as root. Even if a container escape occurs, the attacker only has your user privileges No daemon: Without a central daemon process, there is no privileged socket serving as an attack target Fewer kernel capabilities: Podman starts containers with 11 instead of Docker's 14 capabilities Image signing: Via policy.json, you can enforce that only signed images from trusted registries are pulled In the workshop, you configure these security features yourself and understand why RHEL, Fedora, and SUSE use Podman as their default.

Why should I learn Podman instead of Docker in 2026?

Three reasons why Podman is especially worth learning in 2026: Cost: Docker Desktop has been paid since 2022 ($9/month/user for 250+ employees). Podman and Podman Desktop remain permanently free (Apache 2.0) Enterprise adoption: Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, and SUSE ship Podman as the default container engine. Microsoft added native Podman support to Visual Studio 2026 Kubernetes alignment: Podman works natively with Pods, the same abstraction Kubernetes uses. Docker does not have this concept Your container fundamentals (images, volumes, networks, Compose) transfer 1:1 to Docker. You are not learning a niche tool but the future-proof variant.

Is Podman relevant for Kubernetes?

Yes, and even more so than Docker. Podman is built with Kubernetes in mind: Pods: Podman supports Pods natively, the same abstraction Kubernetes uses for container groups podman kube generate: Creates Kubernetes YAML from running containers and Pods. You can develop locally and deploy the result directly to your cluster OCI-compatible: Podman uses the same container standards (OCI) as Kubernetes. Every image you build with Podman runs in any Kubernetes cluster After this workshop, you can continue directly with our Kubernetes fundamentals training (DW2).

What can I do after the Podman workshop? What's next?

After the workshop, you can independently create containers, build images, and run multi-service applications with Podman Compose. You know the Podman configuration files, can set up rootless containers, and understand how to work with Pods. Next steps: Kubernetes fundamentals (DW2): orchestration in the cluster Helm training (DW9): Kubernetes package management with Helm Charts Kubernetes advanced (DW3): security, networking, storage in detail

Is the Podman workshop suitable for container beginners?

Yes. The workshop starts from scratch and requires no container experience, just basic Linux terminal skills. You learn live online in groups of up to 8 participants, so the trainer can adapt to your pace.

Workshop Dates

Workshop dates

Choose a suitable date and book directly online. All dates are guaranteed to run.

Guaranteed to runPopular date

Introduction to Podman

Learn Podman from scratch in three days: from the container CLI through rootless containers and Podman Compose to Pods and Kubernetes integration. You work hands-on in a dedicated cloud environment, completely free of Docker licensing costs.

Workshop levelNo prior knowledge needed

Satisfied participants2340+

Days3

Workshop codeDW8

Workshop Details

What makes this workshop stand out

What you will learn and take away

After three days of Podman training, you will work confidently with rootless containers. Here is what you take home:

Build your own container images with Containerfiles, keep them lean using multi-stage builds, and run them as multi-service stacks with Podman Compose
Understand and configure rootless containers: customize containers.conf, registries.conf, and storage.conf for your environment
Create Pods and generate Kubernetes YAML directly with podman kube generate for use in your cluster

All exercises run in our cloud environment. No local setup, no licensing costs. You take working code home with you.

Want to continue? Our Kubernetes fundamentals training (DW2) builds directly on your container knowledge. Already using Kubernetes? The Helm training (DW9) covers package management.

Why the investment pays off

Docker Desktop costs $9/month per developer for companies with 250+ employees. Podman is Apache 2.0 licensed and permanently free, CLI-compatible with Docker, and preinstalled on many Linux distributions. This training gets your team ready:

Eliminate licensing costs: Existing Docker workflows continue to work with Podman, your Dockerfiles and Compose files require no changes
Improve security: Rootless containers without a daemon reduce the attack surface, your team learns best practices for secure images and configuration
Prepare for Kubernetes: Podman works natively with Pods, the same abstraction Kubernetes uses. Skills from this workshop transfer directly

Small groups of 8 participants maximum, so we can address questions from your specific project context.

Prerequisites

Required:

Basic Linux terminal skills (navigating files, running commands)
Experience with a text editor or IDE

Not required:

Docker knowledge (we start from scratch, but Docker experience helps)
Programming skills

Already have Docker experience? Even better: the Podman CLI is over 95% identical to Docker. In this workshop, you learn the differences and Podman-specific features that Docker does not have.

Workshop Agenda

Your Agenda at a Glance

Hands-on and structured. Every participant works in their own cloud environment. The agenda shows you what to expect each day.

09:00 - 10:00💬 Introduction Round

10:00 - 10:30

What is Podman?

Docker requires a daemon running with root privileges in the background. Podman does not. Every container is a standalone process under your regular user account. In this block, you understand this daemonless architecture, the OCI standard behind Podman, and why the concept was designed for Kubernetes from the start.

Podman

10:30 - 11:00

Why Podman? License, Security, and Ecosystem

Since 2022, Docker Desktop costs $9 per month per developer for companies with 250+ employees. Podman and Podman Desktop are Apache 2.0 licensed, free and will stay that way. But licensing is only one reason: you see why RHEL, Fedora, and SUSE ship Podman as their default and what the ecosystem of Buildah, Skopeo, and Quadlet means for your daily work.

11:00 - 12:00

Installing and Configuring Podman

On Linux, Podman is often preinstalled. For macOS and Windows, you set up Podman Machine, a lightweight VM running in the background. On top of that, Podman Desktop serves as a graphical interface. The real difference to Docker shows in the configuration files: Podman has containers.conf for container defaults, registries.conf for registry control, and storage.conf for the storage driver. Docker has nothing comparable.

12:00 - 13:00🥪 Lunch Break

13:00 - 13:40

Container Registries and Image Management

Docker Hub, Quay.io, GitHub Container Registry: you work with multiple registries at once and see how Podman finds the right source automatically via shortnames and registries.conf. With Skopeo, you copy images directly between registries without downloading them locally. That saves bandwidth and is invaluable in CI/CD pipelines.

13:40 - 14:30

Getting Started with the Podman CLI

The Podman CLI is over 95% identical to Docker. You test that hands-on and quickly notice where compatibility reaches its limits. In rootless mode, some things behave differently than expected. While debugging, you discover Podman-specific tools that most tutorials never mention.

14:30 - 15:20

Podman Networking with Netavark

Since Podman 4.0, networking runs on Netavark instead of the older CNI stack. The advantage: everything in one tool, noticeably faster, and DNS resolution now works reliably across multiple networks. You create bridge networks, connect containers, and understand when host or none mode is the better choice.

15:20 - 16:00

Podman Volumes and Persistent Data

Containers are ephemeral, your data is not. You work with named volumes and bind mounts and verify that data survives a container restart. In rootless mode, you then encounter the single most common Podman issue: file permissions that suddenly behave differently than expected. You understand the root cause (UID/GID mapping) and learn how to handle it cleanly.

16:00 - 16:30💭 Questions & Answers

Our Benefits

All from one hand!

With our high-quality trainings and workshops, you can bring yourself and your team up to date. All this with many benefits that you get from us.

High Practical Content: 70% hands-on, 30% theory. You work continuously with real scenarios and take working code home with you. No PowerPoint battles, but directly applicable knowledge for your projects.
Cloud Learning Environment: DevNinjas Dojo: Your own Kubernetes clusters and VMs for each participant in the browser. No installation, works despite VPN/proxy/firewalls. You work with dedicated resources, not in shared environments.
Experienced Trainers: Full-time DevOps engineers and consultants from DevNinjas lead the workshops. Not external trainers, but specialized employees actively working on client projects and sharing real-world experience.
Small Groups: Maximum 8 participants per workshop. Everyone gets individual support from the trainer. Your specific questions and use cases get answered, not passed over in anonymous crowds.
Real-World Scenarios: No toy examples or hello-world demos. You work with production-grade setups: multi-container applications, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring stacks. Directly transferable to your production environments.
Certification: You receive an official certificate of attendance as PDF and a verified LinkedIn badge. Document your professional development for your employer, HR, and recruiters professionally.

Testimonials

How participants experience our trainings

4.9/ 5.0

Based on 1047+ participant reviewsacross all DevNinjas trainings

Content

4.8

Trainer

5.0

Hands-on

4.8

Including BMW, Bundeswehr, Deutsche Bahn and many more.

"My colleagues specifically looked for a sysadmin course for Docker with another provider and had an instructor who only set up an IDE for them and then only worked on a task sheet with development tasks. I had a course with lots of background information, an instructor who had a really extensive knowledge of the whole subject matter beyond the slides, and I feel optimally informed."

Johannes Bernstein

@TRIMET Gelsenkirchen SE

"The "Docker & Kubernetes Bundle" training provided me with solid, practical knowledge for everyday work and enabled me to handle Docker and Kubernetes professionally. The excellently structured material offers real added value, even beyond the workshop. The combination of technical depth and interactive delivery by the trainer rounded off the whole experience. An experience that continues to help me even after the training."

Swen Strangfeld

@Bundesdruckerei GmbH

"From my perspective, the workshop had the right speed and an appropriate level of challenge. The subject matter was explained clearly by the instructor and practically consolidated with well-distributed exercises. Adjusting the workshop focus to the participants wishes was not a problem. Valuable practical experiences were shared, and even more specific questions were gladly answered. The instructor's professional expertise and extensive practical experience on the subject gave this workshop a special quality."

S. Kaiser

@forcont business technology GmbH

"Good mix of theory and practice, flexible adjustment of content, good exercises."

Schucker

@Diehl Defence

"Great workshop, great trainer!"

M. Bell

@Emons Spedition GmbH

"The trainer was competent and technically very well positioned."

Christoph Ley

@EUROGATE Technical Services

"The seminar is well structured and more than exceeded my expectations. Topics were conveyed in a professionally and methodically sound manner."

Stefan Ackermann

@Mediengruppe Pressedruck

"I can recommend the Docker workshop at DevNinjas without reservation! The training was excellently structured: theory and practice complemented each other perfectly. The trainer always answered questions competently and clearly, making even more complex topics easily accessible. I was especially impressed by the professionally designed workshop materials, which are very useful as a reference even after the course. Overall, a thoroughly successful learning experience!"

Lukas Graf

@Bundeswehr

"The advanced Kubernetes workshop at DevNinjas really helped me grow professionally. The content was practical and excellently prepared, so even complex topics like RBAC, network policies and Ingress were conveyed in an understandable and directly applicable way. The deep expertise of the trainer was especially impressive and noticeable in every session. I can recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to use Kubernetes in production!"

Marius Büttner

@Siemens AG

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Vincent Sturm

Key Account Manager

Looking for the right Kubernetes or DevOps training for your team? Vincent personally advises you on open workshops, certification prep and customized in-house training. He can also connect you with our consulting services. Get in touch with him directly.

vincent@devninjas.io

+49 221 9865099-4

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