.TH How to use libpod for custom/derivative projects
.PP
libpod today is a Golang library and a CLI.  The choice of interface you make has advantages and disadvantages.

.SH Running as a subprocess
.PP
Advantages:

.RS
.IP \(bu 2
Many commands output JSON
.IP \(bu 2
Works with languages other than Golang
.IP \(bu 2
Easy to get started

.RE

.PP
Disadvantages:

.RS
.IP \(bu 2
Error handling is harder
.IP \(bu 2
May be slower
.IP \(bu 2
Can't hook into or control low\-level things like how images are pulled

.RE

.SH Vendoring into a Go project
.PP
Advantages:

.RS
.IP \(bu 2
Significant power and control

.RE

.PP
Disadvantages:

.RS
.IP \(bu 2
You are now on the hook for container runtime security updates (partially, \fB\fCrunc\fR/\fB\fCcrun\fR are separate)
.IP \(bu 2
Binary size
.IP \(bu 2
Potential skew between multiple libpod versions operating on the same storage can cause problems

.RE

.SH Varlink
.PP
Some code exists for this; splits the difference.  Future uncertain.

.SH Making the choice
.PP
A good question to ask first is: Do you want users to be able to use \fB\fCpodman\fR to manipulate the containers created by your project?
If so, that makes it more likely that you want to run \fB\fCpodman\fR as a subprocess.  If you want a separate image store and a fundamentally
different experience; if what you're doing with containers is quite different from those created by the \fB\fCpodman\fR CLI,
that may drive you towards vendoring.
