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> Is there a subtle detail about packaging software for distribution as isolated executables that I'm missing? In practice it's a nightmare, particularly for l
by qbasic_forever 4y ago
> Is there a subtle detail about packaging software for distribution as isolated executables that I'm missing?
In practice it's a nightmare, particularly for legacy software that demands a ton of dynamic linking to system-installed libraries.
- TuringTest 4y agoYeah, but that's a problem with dynamically linked dependencies. If you statically link all your dependencies into a single executable, doesn't it work conceptually the same as a Docker container with all your tech stack contained in a single package?
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- paulgb 4y agoEven a statically linked program can have dependencies on the system it’s running on, like system fonts and root certificates. Containers ensure a standard environment that accounts for those differences, in a language-agnostic way.
- qbasic_forever 4y agoYep, but when you're dealing with something to run your desktop or other software inside most of that software is dynamically linked tools and utilities.
- hackerfromthefu 4y agoWhether its a nightmare or not depends on what you practise. Dependency heavy environments such as e.g. node or python make it a nightmare. But large stable base library environments with selectively chosen dependencies are usually easy to manage, e.g. .NET.