podman/docs/source/markdown/podman-secret-create.1.md

% podman-secret-create 1

NAME

podman-secret-create - Create a new secret

SYNOPSIS

podman secret create [options] name file|-

DESCRIPTION

Creates a secret using standard input or from a file for the secret content.

Create accepts a path to a file, or -, which tells podman to read the secret from stdin

A secret is a blob of sensitive data which a container needs at runtime but is not stored in the image or in source control, such as usernames and passwords, TLS certificates and keys, SSH keys or other important generic strings or binary content (up to 512 kB in size).

Secrets are not committed to an image with podman commit, and do not get committed in the archive created by a podman export command.

Secrets can also be used to store passwords for podman login to authenticate against container registries.

OPTIONS

--driver, -d=driver

Specify the secret driver (default file).

--driver-opts=key1=val1,key2=val2

Specify driver specific options.

--env=false

Read secret data from environment variable.

--help

Print usage statement.

--label, -l=key=val1,key2=val2

Add label to secret. These labels can be viewed in podman secrete inspect or ls.

--replace=false

If existing secret with the same name already exists, update the secret. The --replace option does not change secrets within existing containers, only newly created containers. The default is false.

SECRET DRIVERS

file

Secret resides in a read-protected file.

pass

Secret resides in a GPG-encrypted file.

shell

Secret is managed by custom scripts. An environment variable SECRET_ID is passed to the scripts (except for list), and secrets are communicated via stdin/stdout (where applicable). Driver options list, lookup, store, and delete serve to install the scripts:

[secrets]
driver = "shell"

[secrets.opts]
list =
lookup =
store =
delete =

EXAMPLES

Create the specified secret based on a local file.

echo -n mysecret > ./secret.txt
$ podman secret create my_secret ./secret.txt

Create the specified secret via stdin.

$ printf <secret> | podman secret create my_secret -

Create or rotate a cryptographically secure random secret just under the maximum 512000 bytes via stdin.

openssl rand -base64 378000 | podman secret create --replace my_secret -

Mount a local file-based secret securely in a container.

podman run --rm --secret source=my_secret,type=mount,uid=1001,gid=1001,mode=440 docker.io/library/alpine ls -l /run/secrets/my_secret

Create gpg encrypted secret based on a local file using the pass driver.

$ podman secret create --driver=pass my_secret ./secret.txt.gpg

Create a secret from an environment variable called 'MYSECRET'.

$ podman secret create --env=true my_secret MYSECRET

SEE ALSO

podman(1), podman-secret(1), podman-login(1), podman-run(1)

HISTORY

• January 2021, Originally compiled by Ashley Cui acui@redhat.com
• February 2024, Added example showing secret creation from an environment variable by Brett Calliss brett@obligatory.email
• May 2025, Added example showing secure secret generation / rotation & mounting by Stuart Cardall