= Containers with Brainstorm =
''Authors: Takfarinas Medani, Malte Höltershinken, and Raymundo Cassani''

Some Brainstorm functions and plugins rely on external software that is distributed as containers (for example: ''duneuro 2026''). These containers are managed in Brainstorm as '''container''' plugins. 

{{{#!wiki note
Container plugins are not usually installed alone, their installation is commonly as a dependency for a code plugin.
}}}

This page explains how containers are used by Brainstorm, and how set up your system to use them.

<<TableOfContents(2,2)>>

== Introduction ==

A container is a packaged version of a software tool that includes everything it needs to run.

With containers:

 * You do ''not'' need to install additional libraries
 * The software runs the same way on different computers
 * Brainstorm can automatically download and use the required tools

You do ''not'' need prior knowledge of containers to use Brainstorm. {{attachment:bstContainer.jpg}}

To be able to use containers with Brainstorm it is necessary to have a supported container engine.

== Container engines ==
Brainstorm supports the following container engines:

 * '''Docker Desktop''' (recommended for most users)
 * TODO '''Podman''' (Linux alternative to Docker)
 * TODO '''Apptainer / Singularity''' (recommended on HPC clusters)

Brainstorm automatically detects which runtime is available on your system.

You need to install at least '''one''' of them.

=== Docker Desktop (recommended) ===

To install, be sure of follow the instructions for your OS: <<BR>>
 https://docs.docker.com/desktop/


== Interactive management ==
SHOW THE GUI FOR CONTAINER PLUGINS

== Command-line management ==
The calls to install or manage containers plugins are the same than for (code) plugins, see the [[https://neuroimage.usc.edu/brainstorm/Tutorials/Plugins#Command-line_management|plugin tutorial]].

An API for low-level interaction between Brainstorm and the container engine has been implemented in `bst_containers.m`

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For additional help, please consult the [[https://neuroimage.usc.edu/forums/|Brainstorm Forum]]