podman 5.8.4 is fundamentally unusable with containers-storage 1.62:

# Downgrade containers-storage (if you have newer version)
# and try to run a container, it fails, using system storage
# paths rather than user ones.
root@poetic-anemone:~# apt install ./c.deb
Note, selecting 'containers-storage' instead of './c.deb'
DOWNGRADING:
  containers-storage

Summary:
  Upgrading: 0, Installing: 0, Downgrading: 1, Removing: 0, Not Upgrading: 0
  Download size: 0 B / 2,581 kB
  Freed space: 188 kB

Continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 /root/c.deb containers-storage amd64 1.62.0-3 [2,581 kB]
dpkg: warning: downgrading containers-storage (1.63.0-1) to (1.62.0-3)
(Reading database… 23737 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack /root/c.deb…
Unpacking containers-storage (1.62.0-3) over (1.63.0-1)…
Setting up containers-storage (1.62.0-3)…
Notice: Download is performed unsandboxed as root as file '/root/c.deb' couldn't be accessed by user '_apt'. - pkgAcquire::Run (13: Permission denied)
root@poetic-anemone:~# su - jak
jak@poetic-anemone:~$ podman run --rm -it ubuntu:focal
Error: creating runtime static files directory "/var/lib/containers/storage/libpod": mkdir /var/lib/containers: permission denied


# Let's upgrade it again, it works!

root@poetic-anemone:~# apt install containers-storage
Upgrading:
  containers-storage

Summary:
  Upgrading: 1, Installing: 0, Removing: 0, Not Upgrading: 0
  Download size: 2,624 kB
  Space needed: 188 kB / 8,633 MB available

Get:1 http://deb.debian.org/debian sid/main amd64 containers-storage amd64 1.63.0-1 [2,624 kB]
Fetched 2,624 kB in 0s (11.4 MB/s)
(Reading database… 23738 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack …/containers-storage_1.63.0-1_amd64.deb…
Unpacking containers-storage (1.63.0-1) over (1.62.0-3)…
Setting up containers-storage (1.63.0-1)…
root@poetic-anemone:~# su - jak
jak@poetic-anemone:~$ podman run --rm -it ubuntu:focal
[... some unrelated warnings ... ]
root@51e81ffcb198:/# exit

Hello,

Bug #1145564 in libpod reported by you has been fixed in the
Git repository and is awaiting an upload. You can see the commit
message below and you can check the diff of the fix at:

https://salsa.debian.org/go-team/packages/podman/-/commit/278cefd0661b28a70944803a7789942805d8429c
------------------------------------------------------------------------
debian/changelog: Add Breaks on containers-storage (Closes: #1145564)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

(this message was generated automatically)
-- 
Greetings

https://bugs.debian.org/1145564

We believe that the bug you reported is fixed in the latest version of
podman, which is due to be installed in the Debian FTP archive.

A summary of the changes between this version and the previous one is
attached.

Thank you for reporting the bug, which will now be closed.  If you
have further comments please address them to 1145564@bugs.debian.org,
and the maintainer will reopen the bug report if appropriate.

Debian distribution maintenance software
pp.
Reinhard Tartler <siretart@tauware.de> (supplier of updated podman package)

(This message was generated automatically at their request; if you
believe that there is a problem with it please contact the archive
administrators by mailing ftpmaster@ftp-master.debian.org)
Format: 1.8
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 2026 19:11:23 -0400
Source: podman
Architecture: source
Version: 5.8.6+ds1-2
Distribution: unstable
Urgency: medium
Maintainer: Debian Go Packaging Team <pkg-go-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org>
Changed-By: Reinhard Tartler <siretart@tauware.de>
Closes: 1145564
Changes:
 podman (5.8.6+ds1-2) unstable; urgency=medium
 .
   * Add Breaks: containers-storage (<< 1.63.0-1~) (Closes: #1145564)
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Files:
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 2a9c2b4ec3645752fb2ed3a38179e75a 33296 admin optional podman_5.8.6+ds1-2.debian.tar.xz
 324809b1a9b38ef48db46c2f6149b55e 5818432 admin None podman_5.8.6+ds1-2.git.tar.xz
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Git-Tag-Info: tag=47562d5f7c0a88bb3ec76938141e898a8f727b21 fp=30de7d1763ab9452c7e0825049a76977942826cb
Git-Tag-Tagger: Reinhard Tartler <siretart@tauware.de>
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