SteamOS
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ValveSoftware
SteamOS3 - please include Docker or OverlayFS to make services like cups available
Docker and/or OverlayFS could be great expansion solutions for SteamOS while keeping the rootfs valid. On a failed boot, the integration could just be deactivated. Dockerd could even be deactivated in GameUI, so installed services don't interfere with the experience. With proper Docker integration, optional services like cups could be managed by users. With full OverlayFS even pacman could be used.
This is a very good Idea! I would also like to be able to use cups and support for docker containers could be really amazing.
Docker (or Podman) support would be nice, since you could use a tool like toolbox or distrobox to use development tools without disabling the read-only filesystem.
Dockerd could even be deactivated in GameUI, so installed services don't interfere with the experience.
Docker has support for socket activation, so with:
sudo systemctl disable docker.service
sudo systemctl enable docker.socket
it will only start on demand.
+1 for docker. Also it should be configured in a way that images and containers survive OS updates. Must have for linux enthusiasts, power users and developers.
Docker containers already survive OS updates, you just have to re-install docker itself each time you update.
Podman would be a better fit than Docker because you don't need an additional service running nor root priveleges.
Just here to agree that I'd love to see Podman shipped with SteamOS3, particularly for use with Distrobox so that we can easily create mutable "pet containers" on top of the stable base system. This would open up a lot of possibilities for advanced Linux users on SteamOS.
(Docker would also work, but I agree that Podman is really a better fit due to being daemonless and not requiring root to use.)
Please add support for podman on steamos. Podman + distrobox allows for nearly limitless expansion without people needing to unlock the base os. This would be an absolute gamechanger. I agree with the later sentiment that specifically podman would be a better fit for this rather than docker. As a bonus it would be nice to also have distrobox installed by default, but once podman is installed people could just install distrobox manually.
We need this! Docker + Podman or just either support in SteamOS out of the box would be so highly appreciated. FYI: Docker can also run rootless (https://docs.docker.com/engine/security/rootless/)
I made an AppImage of podman if you need a portable way to containerize things: https://github.com/popsUlfr/podman-appimage
In the past I wrote about a manual fakeroot way to get another environment working on the Steam Deck: https://gitlab.com/popsulfr/steam-deck-tricks#use-podman-to-create-a-steamosarch-development-image In the meantime I put the AppImage together to make everything much easier (includes btrfs driver support, automatically sets up the storage if it detects it's on btrfs [see steamos-btrfs project])
One possible way to add services like cups without touching the rootfs is with systemd-sysext, which is already available, there are some instructions here.
Probably Podman can also be installed using this method.
FYI the latest SteamOS 3.5 main image comes with podman and distrobox preinstalled (the usual warnings apply: main images are unstable and untested, use at your own risk, etc.).
Thank you for providing Podman!
It's currently in version 4.5.1. Is there a way to update it to 4.7 so we can use podman compose?
https://stackoverflow.com/a/77448532/9737275
Hi @rafrafek, the packages are updated periodically so there will definitely be a new version of Podman in a future software update. I cannot really tell when that will be, though.
If you really want to have it now I suppose you can try installing Podman using Nix, the single-user installation mode should just work (https://nixos.org/download) but there might be interactions with the Podman that comes with the system, I haven't tested that.
Since SteamOS 3.5 is already shipping Podman I think that we can close this issue.