Quadlets

TL;DR: Docker is out, Podman is in, and I’m running everything as a regular user through systemd quadlets. It took longer than it should have and I’d do it again.

Over the years I’ve been methodically replacing my Docker setup with Podman and migrating my containers to run at the user level through systemd quadlets. The pitch is simple: no daemon running as root, native systemd integration, and containers that behave like proper services instead of processes you’re just hoping stay alive.

The transition was not painless. Podman is not a drop-in replacement in every meaningful sense, and some tools have the Docker socket burned so deep into their DNA that migrating them felt like performing surgery with oven mitts. I got there eventually, with enough workarounds to wallpaper a small room.

Right now I’m focused on three things:

• Hardening security
• Finding proper replacements for tools that were clearly designed with Docker in mind
• Replacing my current DNS setup with something less likely to cause me grief at 2am

The highlight so far: I packed an old Half-Life 1 mod into an Alpine image and got it connecting to the Steam network. Completely unnecessary. Worth every minute.