Last checked and updated on April 15, 2026What Is New in Podman 4.5
Podman 4.5 delivers a solid set of enhancements focused on networking, the Podman Desktop experience, and core container management. This release builds on the previous foundation with quality-of-life improvements for developers and more robust tools for system administrators.
| Category | Key Changes |
|---|---|
| New Features | New container checkpoint/restore options, HTTP API network endpoints, Podman Desktop improvements. |
| Networking | New `podman network reload` command, DNS port forwarding for rootless containers, Netavark and Aardvark-DNS updates. |
| Improvements | Enhanced `podman machine` on macOS, better volume support, log driver updates, and image handling. |
| Bug Fixes | Resolved issues with image scp, healthchecks, file locks, and container state management. |
| Deprecations | The `--max-log-size` option for the `journald` log driver is now deprecated. |
What are the new networking capabilities?
The networking stack gets a significant boost with the new podman network reload command. This lets you update a container's network configuration—like refreshing DNS resolvers—without a full container restart, which is a huge win for maintaining service availability.
For rootless setups, you can now forward DNS queries directly to the host's resolvers, making internal name resolution much more reliable. Under the hood, both Netavark and Aardvark-DNS have been updated for better stability and support, including handling for the ip6tables utility and improved DHCP lease management.
How does Podman Desktop improve the developer experience?
Podman Desktop 1.5 is bundled with this release, bringing a more polished GUI. The image builder is now more intuitive, and checking for updates is straightforward. It also integrates the Compose Specification directly, so you can manage your compose.yaml files from within the application.
In practice, this means less context switching for developers. You can build, run, and manage your container stacks from a single interface, which streamlines the inner loop development process significantly.
What's new with container checkpoint and restore?
The podman container checkpoint and podman container restore commands now support the --ignore-rootfs option. This allows you to checkpoint a container's process state while excluding its root filesystem, which can be useful for specific live migration or debugging scenarios where the filesystem is unchanged.
This matters because it provides more granular control over what gets saved and restored, potentially reducing the size of the checkpoint and the time it takes to perform the operation.
Are there improvements for macOS and Windows users?
Yes, the podman machine command on macOS has been enhanced. You can now use the --username flag with podman machine ssh to log in as a specific user. The underlying QEMU provider has also been updated for better compatibility and performance.
For all VM-based operations (macOS and Windows), there's improved handling of user mode networking, making the experience more consistent with running Podman natively on Linux.
What changes were made to the Podman API?
The HTTP API has been expanded to include new endpoints for managing networks. You can now list networks, inspect them, create new ones, and remove existing networks directly through the API. This is a step towards full feature parity between the CLI and the API, which is crucial for automation and integration with other tools.
Additionally, the libpod/events endpoint now supports filtering by event type and container label, giving you more precise control over the event stream you subscribe to.
FAQ
How do I use the new `podman network reload` command?
Run podman network reload <container-name> to apply network changes without restarting the container. This is useful for updating DNS resolvers or refreshing DHCP leases on the fly.
Is the `--max-log-size` option going away?
Yes, the --max-log-size option for the journald log driver is now deprecated. You should use the journald logging driver's own native rotation mechanisms instead.
Can I now forward DNS in rootless mode?
Absolutely. With the new DNS port forwarding feature, rootless containers can forward DNS queries to the host's resolvers, which improves the reliability of name resolution for containers running without root privileges.
What's the benefit of the `--ignore-rootfs` checkpoint flag?
It allows you to checkpoint only the container's process memory state, skipping the root filesystem. This makes the checkpoint file smaller and the operation faster if you know the filesystem hasn't been modified.
Where can I find the new network API endpoints?
The new endpoints are under the /networks path in the Podman HTTP API. You can use GET /networks to list them, POST /networks/create to make a new one, and DELETE /networks/{name} to remove one.