Sandfly uses Docker or Podman as everything runs inside containers for security and performance reasons. Complete the following instructions in order to prepare the Sandfly Server and all Node hosts with a compatible container tool.

Installation Process

It is best to use the latest, supported version of Docker or Podman that is provided by the OS's distribution.

If a supported Docker-compatible package is already installed and up to date, skip this process and proceed to the Server Install - Docker Image documentation. The Docker version can be checked with the following command:

docker -v

Podman Installations

RHEL 8 Compatible and Newer

Podman comes standard with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 8 compatible and newer versions of that operating system base. For Podman-based deployments, first complete the steps found in the Run Sandfly with Podman documentation. Then proceed directly to the Server Install - Docker Image documentation to continue the server installation.

Docker Installations

For Docker-based deployments, install the latest supported version that is provided by the OS's distribution.

For Ubuntu, install Docker only via apt. If Docker is installed manually or via snap, ensure that those versions are completely removed before attempting to install Sandfly; otherwise, it will likely cause a conflict when using Sandfly.

Start Docker

Make sure the Docker daemon starts automatically or start it manually with the following command:

service docker start

The hosts are now ready to begin the installation of Sandfly itself.