MCP server for Podman container management via the Podman REST API
MCP server for Podman container management via the Podman REST API. Manages containers, images, pods, networks, volumes, and system info. Supports both rootful and rootless Podman.
# uvx (zero-install)
uvx mcp-podman-crunchtools
# pip
pip install mcp-podman-crunchtools
# Container
podman run -v /run/podman/podman.sock:/run/podman/podman.sock:z \
--security-opt label=type:container_runtime_t \
quay.io/crunchtools/mcp-podman
| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
PODMAN_SOCKET | No | Auto-detect | Unix socket path |
PODMAN_SOCKET_FILE | No | — | File containing socket path |
PODMAN_TIMEOUT | No | 30 | Request timeout in seconds |
Socket auto-detection order:
$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/podman/podman.sock (rootless)/run/user/$UID/podman/podman.sock (rootless fallback)/run/podman/podman.sock (rootful)claude mcp add mcp-podman-crunchtools \
--env PODMAN_SOCKET=/run/podman/podman.sock \
-- uvx mcp-podman-crunchtools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
container_list | List containers |
container_inspect | Get container details |
container_start | Start a container |
container_stop | Stop a container |
container_restart | Restart a container |
container_kill | Send signal to container |
container_rm | Remove a container |
container_logs | Get container logs |
container_top | List processes |
container_stats | Resource usage |
container_create | Create a container |
container_prune | Remove stopped containers |
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
image_list | List images |
image_inspect | Get image details |
image_pull | Pull from registry |
image_rm | Remove an image |
image_prune | Remove unused images |
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
pod_list | List pods |
pod_inspect | Get pod details |
pod_start | Start a pod |
pod_stop | Stop a pod |
pod_restart | Restart a pod |
pod_rm | Remove a pod |
pod_create | Create a pod |
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
network_list | List networks |
network_inspect | Get network details |
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
volume_list | List volumes |
volume_inspect | Get volume details |
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
system_info | Podman system info |
system_df | Disk usage |
AGPL-3.0-or-later
Source-derived launch command. Check the maintainer’s required arguments and credentials before running:
uvx mcp-podman-crunchtoolsMerge this template into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Keep existing servers. Add any arguments, credentials, and permissions required by the maintainer; this template has not been install-tested.
{
"mcpServers": {
"io-github-crunchtools-podman": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": [
"mcp-podman-crunchtools"
]
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect. Confirm the server appears connected in the client’s tool list, then try a read-only example from its documentation.
Claude Desktop setup referencemcp-podman-crunchtoolspypiMCP Podman works with any MCP-compatible client. Copy the config snippet from the Configuration section above and add it to the file shown for your client, then restart the application.
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.jsonRestart Claude Desktop completely for changes to take effect.~/.cursor/mcp.jsonRestart Cursor for changes to take effect..vscode/mcp.jsonReload VS Code window for changes to take effect.~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.jsonRestart Windsurf for changes to take effect..mcp.jsonSave at the project root, then start Claude Code in that project and review the MCP server approval prompt. Keep real credentials out of shared files.