Artifact volume validation fails at container start instead of creation, creating unstartable containers

[Honny1]

Issue Description

When creating a container with --mount type=artifact, validation of the artifact (checking if it exists and is accessible) occurs during container start rather than container creation. This allows users to create containers that can never be started, resulting in orphaned, unusable containers.

Steps to reproduce the issue

Steps to reproduce the issue

1. podman create --name test --mount type=artifact,source=nonexistent-artifact,destination=/data alpine echo hello
2. podman start test

Or

1. podman run --name test --mount type=artifact,source=nonexistent-artifact,destination=/data alpine echo hello
2. podman ps -a

Describe the results you received

• podman create succeeds even with invalid/non-existent artifacts
• podman start fails with artifact-related errors
• podman run fails with artifact-related errors but creates container
• Container exists in "created" state but can never transition to "running"

Describe the results you expected

• podman create/run should validate artifacts exist and are accessible before start of container
• Prevent creation of containers that can never start
• Consistent with validation behavior of other mount types (bind mounts, volumes)

podman info output

host:
  arch: arm64
  buildahVersion: 1.42.0
  cgroupControllers:
  - cpu
  - io
  - memory
  - pids
  cgroupManager: systemd
  cgroupVersion: v2
  conmon:
    package: conmon-2.1.13-1.20251202104442456352.main.122.gb0ee2e4.fc41.aarch64
    path: /usr/bin/conmon
    version: 'conmon version 2.1.13, commit: '
  cpuUtilization:
    idlePercent: 98.52
    systemPercent: 0.54
    userPercent: 0.94
  cpus: 6
  databaseBackend: sqlite
  distribution:
    distribution: fedora
    variant: workstation
    version: "41"
  emulatedArchitectures:
  - linux/386
  - linux/amd64
  - linux/arm64be
  - linux/loong64
  - linux/mips
  - linux/mips64
  - linux/ppc
  - linux/ppc64
  - linux/ppc64le
  - linux/riscv32
  - linux/riscv64
  - linux/s390x
  eventLogger: journald
  freeLocks: 2045
  hostname: fedora-mac-vm
  idMappings:
    gidmap:
    - container_id: 0
      host_id: 1000
      size: 1
    - container_id: 1
      host_id: 524288
      size: 65536
    uidmap:
    - container_id: 0
      host_id: 1000
      size: 1
    - container_id: 1
      host_id: 524288
      size: 65536
  kernel: 6.17.10-100.fc41.aarch64
  linkmode: dynamic
  logDriver: journald
  memFree: 9982431232
  memTotal: 16719392768
  networkBackend: netavark
  networkBackendInfo:
    backend: netavark
    defaultNetwork: podman
    dns:
      package: aardvark-dns-2.0.0~dev-1.20251203121042890811.main.10.g0976393.fc41.aarch64
      path: /usr/libexec/podman/aardvark-dns
      version: aardvark-dns 2.0.0-dev
    package: netavark-2.0.0~dev-1.20251205174917558827.main.22.g6f77f76.fc41.aarch64
    path: /usr/libexec/podman/netavark
    version: netavark 2.0.0-dev
  ociRuntime:
    name: crun
    package: crun-1.25.1-1.20251209091027568508.main.7.g357d650f.fc41.aarch64
    path: /usr/bin/crun
    version: |-
      crun version UNKNOWN
      commit: 38f1a12cd9fd9e444420c39365c02d2cbe71eb19
      rundir: /run/user/1000/crun
      spec: 1.0.0
      +SYSTEMD +SELINUX +APPARMOR +CAP +SECCOMP +EBPF +CRIU +LIBKRUN +WASM:wasmedge +YAJL
  os: linux
  pasta:
    executable: /usr/bin/pasta
    package: passt-0^20250919.g623dbf6-1.fc41.aarch64
    version: |
      pasta 0^20250919.g623dbf6-1.fc41.aarch64-pasta
      Copyright Red Hat
      GNU General Public License, version 2 or later
        <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html>
      This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
      There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
  remoteSocket:
    exists: true
    path: /run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock
  rootlessNetworkCmd: pasta
  security:
    apparmorEnabled: false
    capabilities: CAP_CHOWN,CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE,CAP_FOWNER,CAP_FSETID,CAP_KILL,CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE,CAP_SETFCAP,CAP_SETGID,CAP_SETPCAP,CAP_SETUID,CAP_SYS_CHROOT
    rootless: true
    seccompEnabled: true
    seccompProfilePath: /usr/share/containers/seccomp.json
    selinuxEnabled: true
  serviceIsRemote: false
  slirp4netns:
    executable: ""
    package: ""
    version: ""
  swapFree: 8589930496
  swapTotal: 8589930496
  uptime: 0h 56m 14.00s
  variant: v8
plugins:
  authorization: null
  log:
  - k8s-file
  - none
  - passthrough
  - journald
  network:
  - bridge
  - macvlan
  - ipvlan
  volume:
  - local
registries:
  search:
  - registry.fedoraproject.org
  - registry.access.redhat.com
  - docker.io
store:
  configFile: /home/jrodak/.config/containers/storage.conf
  containerStore:
    number: 3
    paused: 0
    running: 0
    stopped: 3
  graphDriverName: overlay
  graphOptions: {}
  graphRoot: /home/jrodak/.local/share/containers/storage
  graphRootAllocated: 67014492160
  graphRootUsed: 26597588992
  graphStatus:
    Backing Filesystem: btrfs
    Native Overlay Diff: "true"
    Supports d_type: "true"
    Supports shifting: "false"
    Supports volatile: "true"
    Using metacopy: "false"
  imageCopyTmpDir: /var/tmp
  imageStore:
    number: 22
  runRoot: /run/user/1000/containers
  transientStore: false
  volumePath: /home/jrodak/.local/share/containers/storage/volumes
version:
  APIVersion: 6.0.0-dev
  BuildOrigin: 'Copr: rhcontainerbot/podman-next'
  Built: 1765238400
  BuiltTime: Tue Dec  9 01:00:00 2025
  GitCommit: f8e0b700638a407bab45c5a411f934e7005ff38d
  GoVersion: go1.24.10
  Os: linux
  OsArch: linux/arm64
  Version: 6.0.0-dev

Podman in a container

No

Privileged Or Rootless

None

Upstream Latest Release

Yes

Additional environment details

Additional environment details

Additional information

Artifact validation happens in libpod/container_internal_common.go:generateSpec() (called at start time) also in pkg/specgen/generate/storage.go:finalizeMounts() (called at creation time).

[Luap99]

Worth to mention that while I agree it makes sense to catch the non exists case at create time we don't have a way to prevent removal after creation so start could still fail like that. So that doesn't guarantee that a start cannot fail but of course failing early is always better here.

[baude]

I didnt get to this before PTO. I will unassign if anyone wants it for the time being.

[MayorFaj]

/assign

[MayorFaj]

I am happy to take this