Dyson Protocol Node Deployment with Podman

Guide describing how to deploy Dyson Protocol node containers using rootless environment and Podman as containerization platform.

Docker vs Podman

Docker and Podman are both containerization platforms that enable developers to build, package, and distribute applications in a consistent and reproducible manner. While they share many similarities, there are also notable differences between the two:

1. Daemon vs. Daemonless: Docker uses a client-server architecture, where a Docker daemon runs in the background and manages containers. In contrast, Podman is daemonless and runs containers directly, which can reduce complexity and security risks.

2. Root vs. Rootless: Docker typically requires root privileges for most operations, which can introduce security concerns. Podman, on the other hand, supports running containers without root privileges (rootless), which enhances security and allows non-privileged users to manage containers.

3. CLI Compatibility: Podman aims to be a drop-in replacement for Docker, and its CLI commands closely mirror Docker's. However, there might be some minor differences, so it is essential to consult the respective documentation when transitioning from one platform to another.

4. Container Orchestration: Docker has native support for Docker Swarm, a container orchestration platform. Podman, on the other hand, does not have built-in orchestration support but can work with Kubernetes through the CRI-O runtime.

5. Image Storage: Docker uses a centralized image storage mechanism, while Podman employs a distributed approach. This allows Podman to isolate image storage for different users, enhancing security and preventing potential conflicts.

6. API Compatibility: Docker has a well-documented REST API for interacting with the Docker daemon. Podman, being daemonless, does not provide a native REST API. However, Podman can be configured to support the Docker API through the podman-docker package or the Podman API service.

7. Community and Support: Docker has a larger community and more extensive commercial support, owing to its longer history and widespread adoption. Podman is a newer project with a growing community, primarily supported by Red Hat.

In summary, Docker and Podman are both powerful containerization tools, but they differ in their architecture, security features, and some aspects of their functionality. Podman is an appealing alternative for those who prioritize rootless container management and a daemonless architecture, while Docker remains popular for its extensive community, support, and integration with Docker Swarm.

Podman deployment/configuration

Update system

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y && sudo apt autoremove -y

Required packages

sudo apt install entr jq make git ufw podman podman-docker docker-compose

Create Dyson node user

sudo adduser dyson

Once dedicated user is created access system using dyson user to continue deployment.

Enable and start podman.socket as a user

systemctl --user enable podman.socket
systemctl --user start podman.socket
systemctl --user status podman.socket
export DOCKER_HOST=unix:///run/user/$UID/podman/podman.sock

NOTE: Commands su - <user> or sudo -u <user> do not preserve environment variables like $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS and $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR. It is required to use ssh to login as dyson user to have environmental variables set correctly for Podman: ssh <user>@localhost

Prevent containers termination at logoff

By default container started in user environment will be terminated once user will log off. To avoid that enable linger state loginctl enable-linger dyson.

Build Dyson Protocol components

Node installation

git clone --recurse-submodules https://gitlab.com/dysonproject/dyson-deploy.git
cd dyson-deploy

Configurartion adjustments

To build and run containers we will use docker-compose. As Podman does not support docker compose syntax it is required to adju Changes to Makefile

• replace docker compose with docker-compose

Changes to scripts/start.sh

• replace docker compose with docker-compose

Changes to docker-compose.yml

• replace links with depends_on

• change 443:443 to 8443:443

• change 80:80 to 8080:80

$ make reset # if you had already joined the testnet
$ make testnet # prepare .env file for testnet deployment

Run containers

TAG=v0.1.1 docker-compose up -d

That will run containers

Managing Dyson Protocol components

Check container status

docker container logs --tail=100 --follow=true dyson-deploy_chain_1

Accessing the dysond service

Use docker compose exec chain bash to enter the running container. (Ignore the warnings about blank env vars) On the host computer enter the running container

$ docker-compose exec chain bash