`podman image load` on MacOS fails with `Error: unable to load image: payload does not match any of the supported image formats`

[sebastianw]

Issue Description

When trying to load an image with podman image load the operation fails with Error: unable to load image: payload does not match any of the supported image formats even though the image is valid.

Steps to reproduce the issue

Steps to reproduce the issue

1. Try to load the image with TMPDIR=/private/tmp podman image load <~/Downloads/cEOSarm-lab-4.34.4M.tar.xz

Describe the results you received

~/Downloads ▶ TMPDIR=/private/tmp podman image load <~/Downloads/cEOSarm-lab-4.34.4M.tar.xz
Error: unable to load image: payload does not match any of the supported image formats:
 * oci: open /var/tmp/libpod-images-load.tar1381150876/index.json: not a directory
 * oci-archive: creating temp directory: untarring file "/var/tmp/container_images_oci3444481229": operation not permitted
 * docker-archive: loading tar component "manifest.json": file does not exist
 * dir: open /var/tmp/libpod-images-load.tar1381150876/manifest.json: not a directory
[Exit 125]

Describe the results you expected

The image should be loaded.

podman info output

Client:
  APIVersion: 5.7.1
  BuildOrigin: brew
  Built: 1765311063
  BuiltTime: Tue Dec  9 21:11:03 2025
  GitCommit: ""
  GoVersion: go1.25.5
  Os: darwin
  OsArch: darwin/arm64
  Version: 5.7.1
host:
  arch: arm64
  buildahVersion: 1.40.1
  cgroupControllers:
  - cpu
  - io
  - memory
  - pids
  cgroupManager: systemd
  cgroupVersion: v2
  conmon:
    package: conmon-2.1.12-3.fc41.aarch64
    path: /usr/bin/conmon
    version: 'conmon version 2.1.12, commit: '
  cpuUtilization:
    idlePercent: 99.53
    systemPercent: 0.2
    userPercent: 0.27
  cpus: 5
  databaseBackend: sqlite
  distribution:
    distribution: fedora
    variant: coreos
    version: "41"
  eventLogger: journald
  freeLocks: 2048
  hostname: localhost.localdomain
  idMappings:
    gidmap:
    - container_id: 0
      host_id: 1000
      size: 1
    - container_id: 1
      host_id: 100000
      size: 1000000
    uidmap:
    - container_id: 0
      host_id: 502
      size: 1
    - container_id: 1
      host_id: 100000
      size: 1000000
  kernel: 6.12.13-200.fc41.aarch64
  linkmode: dynamic
  logDriver: journald
  memFree: 1412366336
  memTotal: 2042040320
  networkBackend: netavark
  networkBackendInfo:
    backend: netavark
    dns:
      package: aardvark-dns-1.14.0-1.fc41.aarch64
      path: /usr/libexec/podman/aardvark-dns
      version: aardvark-dns 1.14.0
    package: netavark-1.14.0-1.fc41.aarch64
    path: /usr/libexec/podman/netavark
    version: netavark 1.14.0
  ociRuntime:
    name: crun
    package: crun-1.20-2.fc41.aarch64
    path: /usr/bin/crun
    version: |-
      crun version 1.20
      commit: 9c9a76ac11994701dd666c4f0b869ceffb599a66
      rundir: /run/user/502/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-0^20250121.g4f2c8e7-2.fc41.aarch64
    version: |
      pasta 0^20250121.g4f2c8e7-2.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: unix:///run/user/502/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: true
  slirp4netns:
    executable: /usr/bin/slirp4netns
    package: slirp4netns-1.3.1-1.fc41.aarch64
    version: |-
      slirp4netns version 1.3.1
      commit: e5e368c4f5db6ae75c2fce786e31eef9da6bf236
      libslirp: 4.8.0
      SLIRP_CONFIG_VERSION_MAX: 5
      libseccomp: 2.5.5
  swapFree: 0
  swapTotal: 0
  uptime: 24h 42m 46.00s (Approximately 1.00 days)
  variant: v8
plugins:
  authorization: null
  log:
  - k8s-file
  - none
  - passthrough
  - journald
  network:
  - bridge
  - macvlan
  - ipvlan
  volume:
  - local
registries:
  search:
  - docker.io
store:
  configFile: /var/home/core/.config/containers/storage.conf
  containerStore:
    number: 0
    paused: 0
    running: 0
    stopped: 0
  graphDriverName: overlay
  graphOptions: {}
  graphRoot: /var/home/core/.local/share/containers/storage
  graphRootAllocated: 106415992832
  graphRootUsed: 9394094080
  graphStatus:
    Backing Filesystem: xfs
    Native Overlay Diff: "true"
    Supports d_type: "true"
    Supports shifting: "false"
    Supports volatile: "true"
    Using metacopy: "false"
  imageCopyTmpDir: /var/tmp
  imageStore:
    number: 20
  runRoot: /run/user/502/containers
  transientStore: false
  volumePath: /var/home/core/.local/share/containers/storage/volumes
version:
  APIVersion: 5.5.2
  BuildOrigin: 'Copr: packit/containers-podman-26503'
  Built: 1750723200
  BuiltTime: Tue Jun 24 02:00:00 2025
  GitCommit: e7d8226745ba07a64b7176a7f128e4ef53225a0e
  GoVersion: go1.23.10
  Os: linux
  OsArch: linux/arm64
  Version: 5.5.2

Podman in a container

No

Privileged Or Rootless

Rootless

Upstream Latest Release

Yes

Additional environment details

No response

Additional information

I tried explicitly setting the TMPDIR environment variable because I saw it in another issue but it doesn't seem to take?

[baude]

not sure how to proceed here ... you say the image is valid, podman says no,. how do we tiebreak this? can you attach the image?

[danishprakash]

Could you also load your image with Docker? That might give some indication as to where this is heading.

[sebastianw]

Hello,

you are absolutely right, the problems is with the image. I tried it with docker and it didn't load there as well. Sorry for the noise. In the future I will test with docker first.

The image is proprietary so I couldn't share it.