Fix `unless-stopped` restart policy to match Docker behavior #27619

Honny1 · 2025-11-27T12:59:52Z

Update documentation: Differentiate unless-stopped from always - containers stopped by the user before a reboot will not restart.
Add should-start-on-boot filter: Identify containers that require a restart after a system reboot.
Update command documentation: Add restart-policy and label! filters to the documentation for container commands (rm, ps, start, stop, pause, unpause, restart).
Add restart-policy and shoud-start-on-boot to completions.
Update service: Update podman-restart.service to use the needs-restart=true filter.
Preserve state: Preserve the StoppedByUser state across reboots.
Update API: Add a ShouldStartOnBoot() method to the Container API.
Update documentation: Add descriptions for the should-start-on-boot filter.

Fixes: https://issues.redhat.com/browse/RHEL-129405
Fixes: #20418

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Does this PR introduce a user-facing change?

The `unless-stopped` restart policy now correctly matches Docker behavior by preserving the user-stopped state across reboots, and includes a new `should-start-on-boot` filter.

openshift-ci · 2025-11-27T13:00:00Z

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packit-as-a-service · 2025-11-27T13:07:22Z

[NON-BLOCKING] Packit jobs failed. @containers/packit-build please check. Everyone else, feel free to ignore.

Luap99 · 2025-11-27T13:22:27Z

I haven't looked at the code but I find needs-restart a confusing name, internally we also already have a ShouldRestart() function so it isn't at all clear what this means.

Given this only targets the on boot start , maybe something more like should-start-on-boot/ShouldStartOnBoot?

Honny1 · 2025-11-27T13:42:15Z

Given this only targets the on boot start , maybe something more like should-start-on-boot/ShouldStartOnBoot?

That is a much better name. I have renamed it

Honny1 · 2025-12-01T15:39:44Z

PTAL @mheon @Luap99

mheon · 2025-12-01T19:23:57Z

libpod/container_api.go


+// Indicate whether or not the container will should start after a reboot of system
+func (c *Container) ShouldStartOnBoot() bool {
+	logrus.Debugf("Checking if container %s needs restart", c.ID())


Probably should drop this, since it's part of a filter, we'll spam the debug logs

mheon · 2025-12-01T19:24:40Z

libpod/container_api.go

+	}
+
+	notExecuted := c.state.State == define.ContainerStateConfigured || c.state.State == define.ContainerStateCreated
+	if notExecuted {


Can use c.ensureState for this.

- Update documentation: Differentiate `unless-stopped` from `always` - containers stopped by the user before a reboot will not restart. - Add `should-start-on-boot` filter: Identify containers that require a restart after a system reboot. - Update command documentation: Add `restart-policy` and `label!` filters to the documentation for container commands (rm, ps, start, stop, pause, unpause, restart). - Add `restart-policy` and `shoud-start-on-boot` to completions. - Update service: Update `podman-restart.service` to use the `needs-restart=true` filter. - Preserve state: Preserve the `StoppedByUser` state across reboots. - Update API: Add a `ShouldStartOnBoot()` method to the Container API. - Update documentation: Add descriptions for the `should-start-on-boot` filter. Fixes: https://issues.redhat.com/browse/RHEL-129405 Fixes: containers#20418 Signed-off-by: Jan Rodák <[email protected]>

Honny1 · 2025-12-02T14:54:50Z

@mheon I made changes based on your comments.

mheon · 2025-12-02T15:36:03Z

LGTM

Honny1 · 2025-12-02T17:00:16Z

/packit retest-failed

Luap99

/lgtm

The duplication in the filter description is ugly as hell, we should create an issue and make the filter option de-duplicated like the rest unless I am overlooking something why it isn't right now.

Honny1 · 2025-12-04T14:56:45Z

@Luap99

I created an issue for the filter documentation deduplication: #27681

Also, it seems that combining text with /_lgtm doesn't work.

Luap99 · 2025-12-04T14:59:16Z

/lgtm

Thanks

Also, it seems that combining text with /_lgtm doesn't work.

It does work normally, I suppose this is just one of the typical bot issues where it is offline or misses messages for short time. One of the reason why we want to remove the bot. Let's see if this works now :)

openshift-ci bot added release-note do-not-merge/work-in-progress Indicates that a PR should not merge because it is a work in progress. labels Nov 27, 2025

openshift-ci bot added the approved Indicates a PR has been approved by an approver from all required OWNERS files. label Nov 27, 2025

Honny1 force-pushed the fix-unless-stopped-reboot branch from 5b28844 to 33a8d52 Compare November 27, 2025 13:06

Honny1 force-pushed the fix-unless-stopped-reboot branch from 33a8d52 to b5b5d8f Compare November 27, 2025 13:40

Honny1 mentioned this pull request Nov 27, 2025

Restart unless-stopped containers with podman-restart.service #20962

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Honny1 force-pushed the fix-unless-stopped-reboot branch from b5b5d8f to 22bc44c Compare November 27, 2025 14:16

Honny1 marked this pull request as ready for review November 27, 2025 14:27

openshift-ci bot removed the do-not-merge/work-in-progress Indicates that a PR should not merge because it is a work in progress. label Nov 27, 2025

mheon reviewed Dec 1, 2025

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Honny1 force-pushed the fix-unless-stopped-reboot branch from 22bc44c to 4d3c631 Compare December 2, 2025 14:41

Luap99 approved these changes Dec 2, 2025

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openshift-ci bot assigned Luap99 Dec 4, 2025

openshift-ci bot added the lgtm Indicates that a PR is ready to be merged. label Dec 4, 2025

openshift-merge-bot bot merged commit 5508d87 into containers:main Dec 4, 2025
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PirMei mentioned this pull request Jan 15, 2026

Fix podman-restart.service systemd unit description after changing to also restart unless-stopped containers #27908

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Fix unless-stopped restart policy to match Docker behavior #27619

Fix unless-stopped restart policy to match Docker behavior #27619

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Fix `unless-stopped` restart policy to match Docker behavior #27619

Fix `unless-stopped` restart policy to match Docker behavior #27619

Honny1 commented Nov 27, 2025 •

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