---
title: Fresh installation of ECE using Podman hosts
description: This section provides guidelines and recommendations to install ECE using a Podman-based environment. The recommended approach consists of two (2) high-level...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/deploy-manage/deploy/cloud-enterprise/fresh-installation-of-ece-using-podman-hosts
products:
  - Elastic Cloud Enterprise
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Enterprise: Generally available
---

# Fresh installation of ECE using Podman hosts
This section provides guidelines and recommendations to install ECE using a Podman-based environment. The recommended approach consists of two (2) high-level steps.
**Step 1**: Install ECE.
**Step 2**: Add additional Podman hosts
<note>
  - When copy-pasting commands, verify that characters like quotes (“) are encoded correctly in the console where you copy the command to.
  - Steps that run commands starting with `sudo` can be run as any sudoers user. Otherwise, the corresponding user is mentioned as part of the step description.
  - Avoid customizing the host Docker path `/mnt/data/docker` when using SELinux. Otherwise the ECE installer script needs to be adjusted.
</note>

1. Install ECE
   Use the ECE installer script together with the `--podman` flag.
   Refer to the official [ECE installation](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/deploy-manage/deploy/cloud-enterprise/install-ece-procedures) documentation to adapt the command line parameters to your environment.
   [JVM heap sizes](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/deploy-manage/deploy/cloud-enterprise/ece-jvm) describes recommended JVM options.
   <important>
   Important while running `./elastic-cloud-enterprise.sh`
   - Execute the installer script as user `elastic`.
   - Ensure to use an installer script that supports podman.
   - Make sure you use `--podman`.
   - Use `--cloud-enterprise-version VERSION_NAME` to specify the correct version.
   - If you are using SELinux, make sure you also use `--selinux`.
   </important>
2. Add additional Podman hosts
   Refer to the official [Install Elastic Cloud Enterprise on an additional host](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/deploy-manage/deploy/cloud-enterprise/install-ece-on-additional-hosts) and [ECE installation](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/deploy-manage/deploy/cloud-enterprise/install-ece-procedures) documentation to adapt the command line parameters to your environment including fetching the role token.
   [JVM heap sizes](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/deploy-manage/deploy/cloud-enterprise/ece-jvm) describes recommended JVM options.
   <important>
   Important while running `./elastic-cloud-enterprise.sh`
   - Execute the installer script as user `elastic`.
   - Ensure to use an installer script that supports podman.
   - Make sure you use `--podman`.
   - If you are using SELinux, make sure you also use `--selinux`.
   - To fetch a role token following the [Generate Roles Tokens](https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/3016/deploy-manage/deploy/cloud-enterprise/generate-roles-tokens) guidelines, you need to send a JSON token to the admin console. Double check the correct format of the roles. Roles are a list of individual strings in quotes, **NOT a single string**.
   **Example**
   ```json
   { "persistent": true, "roles": [ "allocator","coordinator","director","proxy" ] }
   ```
   - The ECE version of the additional host must be the same as the version used in step 2. Use `--cloud-enterprise-version VERSION_NAME` to specify the correct version.
   - Make sure to apply the roles to the additional host. The value for the `--roles` flag is a single string.
   **Example**
   ```sh
   --roles "allocator,coordinator,director,proxy"
   ```
   </important>
   To add a new allocator, use `--roles "allocator"`. To add a new coordinator, director, proxy, and allocator, use `--roles "allocator,coordinator,director,proxy"`

<note>
  When using Podman, removing an image with the `--force` (`-f`) option not only deletes the image reference but also removes any containers that depend on that image. This behavior differs from Docker, where forced image removal does not automatically remove running or stopped containers. Therefore, avoid using the `--force` (`-f`) option with the `docker rmi` command.
</note>