ShellHub and Podman: A Powerful Duo for Managing Remote Linux Devices
In today’s fast-evolving landscape of connected devices, container technology plays a crucial role, especially for solutions like ShellHub, which rely on lightweight, secure deployments to enable remote access at scale.
With version v0.19.0, ShellHub now officially supports Podman as an alternative to Docker, and this isn’t just a minor compatibility tweak. For many teams managing embedded, industrial, or enterprise systems, Podman unlocks new flexibility and infrastructure alignment.
Let’s break down why this support matters — even if rootless containers aren’t supported (yet).
Container Runtime Flexibility = Smoother Integration
By supporting Podman, ShellHub can now be deployed in environments where Docker isn’t available, allowed, or preferred. This includes:
- Enterprises standardizing on Red Hat or Fedora ecosystems
- Secure environments that avoid long-running Docker daemons
- Infrastructures that rely on systemd-native workflows
Whether you’re working with edge devices, embedded Linux, or private infrastructure, Podman support allows ShellHub to fit your deployment strategy instead of forcing changes to it.
Seamless Integration with systemd
Podman integrates directly with systemd, unlike Docker. That means ShellHub can now be managed as a native system service, enabling:
- Automatic service start/restart
- Easier deployment via
systemd-runor custom units - Cleaner integration with existing service orchestration tools
This makes ShellHub an ideal fit for enterprise Linux environments like RHEL, CentOS Stream, and Fedora CoreOS, where systemd is the foundation of service management.
No Daemon, Less Complexity
Podman is daemonless, which simplifies container execution and eliminates the need for a central dockerd process. This improves:
- Resource efficiency
- Debuggability
- Compatibility with minimal, secure systems
While ShellHub still requires elevated privileges to manage SSH tunnels and namespaces, meaning full rootless mode is not yet available, users still benefit from Podman’s simplicity and flexibility.
💡 Important clarification: ShellHub does not currently support rootless Podman, as root privileges are required to enable key low-level networking and namespace features. However, teams can still deploy ShellHub using Podman with root access.
Seamless with Existing OCI Workflows
Podman is fully compliant with the OCI (Open Container Initiative) standard, which means:
- ShellHub images work out of the box
- No CI/CD pipeline changes are needed
- You can use Podman as a drop-in replacement for Docker in your build and deploy process
This minimizes friction and shortens time-to-deploy for teams already familiar with container-based infrastructure.
Who Benefits Most from Podman Support?
ShellHub's Podman support is a big win for:
- Enterprises deploying in Red Hat-based environments
- Aerospace and industrial systems with strict runtime and daemon constraints
- QA and development teams building with Podman for test automation
- Organizations prioritizing container runtime isolation and policy compliance
Wherever teams want more control, less overhead, and Docker-free deployment, ShellHub fits right in.
And That’s Not All: ShellHub v0.19.0 at a Glance
In addition to Podman compatibility, ShellHub v0.19.0 delivers several updates focused on performance, UX, and enterprise readiness:
Improved UI/UX
- Migrated to
<script setup>in Vue UI for faster, cleaner frontend development - Refactored session layout and lists for better performance
- Enhanced notifications with clearer feedback and error handling
Enhanced Session Recording (Cloud & Enterprise)
- More stable session capture under long SSH sessions
- Improved audit trail capabilities for compliance-heavy use cases
Backend & Security Improvements
- Updated dependencies for security and compatibility
- Core performance improvements
- Minor bug fixes and logic cleanup
Ready to try ShellHub with Podman?
Whether you’re securing access to embedded devices or scaling remote support across fleets, ShellHub’s flexibility now fits even more environments.