Address reviewer feedback: remove podman binary detection

- Remove isPodmanAvailable() function and related checks
- Update language to clarify "Podman Docker-compatible service"
- Remove version-specific requirements (4.9.2 -> recent version)
- Focus on Docker client connectivity without podman binary dependency

This addresses @afbjorklund's feedback about not detecting podman binaries
and providing only Docker socket connectivity. Prepares foundation for
future SSH socket implementation per issue #9229.

Author: elasticdotventures

cmd/minikube/cmd/podman-env.go

@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ var podmanUnset bool
 // podmanShellCfgSet generates context variables for "podman-env"
 func podmanShellCfgSet(ec PodmanEnvConfig, envMap map[string]string) *PodmanShellConfig {
 	profile := ec.profile
-	const usgPlz = "To point your shell to minikube's podman docker-compatible service, run:"
+	const usgPlz = "To point your shell to minikube's Podman Docker-compatible service, run:"
 	usgCmd := fmt.Sprintf("minikube -p %s podman-env", profile)
 	s := &PodmanShellConfig{
 		Config: *shell.CfgSet(ec.EnvConfig, usgPlz, usgCmd),
@@ -86,20 +86,13 @@ func podmanShellCfgSet(ec PodmanEnvConfig, envMap map[string]string) *PodmanShel
 	return s
 }
 
-// isPodmanAvailable checks if podman command is available
-func isPodmanAvailable(r command.Runner) bool {
-	if _, err := r.RunCmd(exec.Command("which", "podman")); err != nil {
-		return false
-	}
-
-	return true
-}
 
 // podmanEnvCmd represents the podman-env command
 var podmanEnvCmd = &cobra.Command{
 	Use:   "podman-env",
-	Short: "Configure environment to use minikube's Podman service",
-	Long:  `Sets up Docker client env variables to use minikube's Podman Docker-compatible service.`,
+	Short: "Configure environment to use minikube's Podman Docker-compatible service",
+	Long:  `Sets up Docker client env variables to use minikube's Podman Docker-compatible service.
+Uses Docker client against Podman's Docker API compatibility - no podman binary required.`,
 	Run: func(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) {
 		sh := shell.EnvConfig{
 			Shell: shell.ForceShell,
@@ -136,14 +129,11 @@ var podmanEnvCmd = &cobra.Command{
 		}
 
 		r := co.CP.Runner
-		if ok := isPodmanAvailable(r); !ok {
-			exit.Message(reason.EnvPodmanUnavailable, `The podman service within '{{.cluster}}' is not active`, out.V{"cluster": cname})
-		}
 
 		d := co.CP.Host.Driver
 		hostIP := co.CP.IP.String()
 
-		// Use Docker API compatibility - podman supports Docker API on port 2376
+		// Use Docker API compatibility - Docker client connects to Docker-compatible API
 		port := constants.DockerDaemonPort
 		noProxy := false
 

cmd/minikube/cmd/podman-env_test.go

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export DOCKER_TLS_VERIFY="1"
 export DOCKER_CERT_PATH="/certs"
 export MINIKUBE_ACTIVE_PODMAN="bash"
 
-# To point your shell to minikube's podman docker-compatible service, run:
+# To point your shell to minikube's Podman Docker-compatible service, run:
 # eval $(minikube -p bash podman-env)
 `,
 			`unset DOCKER_HOST;
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ export DOCKER_TLS_VERIFY="1"
 export DOCKER_CERT_PATH="/certs"
 export MINIKUBE_ACTIVE_PODMAN="bash"
 
-# To point your shell to minikube's podman docker-compatible service, run:
+# To point your shell to minikube's Podman Docker-compatible service, run:
 # eval $(minikube -p bash podman-env)
 `,
 			`unset DOCKER_HOST;

site/content/en/docs/commands/podman-env.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ description: >
 
 ## Requirements
 
-- **Podman version 4.9.2 or newer is required.**
+- **Recent Podman version with Docker API compatibility is required.**
 - **Docker client is required** - `podman-env` uses Docker's client to communicate with Podman's Docker-compatible API.
 - The `podman-env` command configures Docker client environment variables to connect to minikube's Podman service via its Docker-compatible API.