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This totally missed the point. I use Docker where the compilation story (and cross-compilation story) is a mess (looking at you, Python) and I don't have the re

This totally missed the point. I use Docker where the compilation story (and cross-compilation story) is a mess (looking at you, Python) and I don't have the resources to figure it all out. With Docker, I can get a portable image working in a few hours. It's a hack, but it's a convenient one. WASM does not offer this.

b33j0r 4y ago
It’s people who see the potential of this emergent technology getting prematurely excited. It promises to neutralize the playing field like Java promised, and Docker. I’ve seen WASM do some cool shit, don’t count it out. Just factor in the irrational exuberance.
- quickthrower2 4y ago
  I am bullish on WASM because technical merits aside it is in the browser and so it will be widely used because everyone knows it will be widely used. JS now runs on or is a source everywhere for example: embedded, frontend, backend, edge, mobile. WASM will be the same. In addition with so many compile to JS technologies and chains, WASM is sort of another choice. Not a big deal for a team to choose it. I don’t know enough about will it replace docker. But a lot of docker use cases are a bit of a leaky abstraction over what you are trying to achieve. For example why do I need to know what Alpine Linux is in order to run a node app? OK there is a node image that hides this detail but barely, you end up having to think about this sort of stuff.
  - b33j0r 4y ago
    It’s pretty cool to write a 3D game in godot, and see a browser run it like it’s nothin. It answers the question “but can it run linux/doom?” easily. Does it have the marketshare to make AWS make significantly different decisions? Remains to be seen. I guess people paid money for serverless. Could go that way Edit: I never thought node.js would take over half of the information sphere, so read me more like a graybeard who is too young to be one.
  - robertlagrant 4y ago
    > For example why do I need to know what Alpine Linux is in order to run a node app? In case you need to install anything in it as well as your application.
    - quickthrower2 4y ago
      Yes it depends on your philosophy. Lego vs. bespoke art would be my analogy. No right answer, it depends on what you want to build. I think a lot of what I might call uncharitably “webshit” which is the run of the mill stuff that is still very valuable for solving problems can run on turnkey containers.
agent281 4y ago
This seems backwards to me. Docker is built on Linux process controls and requires the Linux kernel. I believe Docker on MacOS/Windows requires a Linux VM. > Unfortunately, one of the challenges of running Docker on macOS or Windows is that these Linux primitives are unavailable. Docker Desktop goes to great lengths to emulate them without modifying the user experience of running containers. It runs a (light) Linux VM to host the Docker daemon with additional "glue" helpers to connect the Docker client, running on the host, to that VM. https://mirage.io/blog/2022-04-06.vpnkit https://mirage.io/blog/2022-04-06.vpnkit WASM and WASI would actually be a cross compatibility story because you could compile to an architecture and syscall interface that is platform agnostic.
- tinyspacewizard 4y ago
  > you could compile to an architecture and syscall interface that is platform agnostic The issue is that I cannot easily compile.

b33j0r 4y ago

It’s people who see the potential of this emergent technology getting prematurely excited. It promises to neutralize the playing field like Java promised, and Docker. I’ve seen WASM do some cool shit, don’t count it out. Just factor in the irrational exuberance.

quickthrower2 4y ago
I am bullish on WASM because technical merits aside it is in the browser and so it will be widely used because everyone knows it will be widely used. JS now runs on or is a source everywhere for example: embedded, frontend, backend, edge, mobile. WASM will be the same. In addition with so many compile to JS technologies and chains, WASM is sort of another choice. Not a big deal for a team to choose it. I don’t know enough about will it replace docker. But a lot of docker use cases are a bit of a leaky abstraction over what you are trying to achieve. For example why do I need to know what Alpine Linux is in order to run a node app? OK there is a node image that hides this detail but barely, you end up having to think about this sort of stuff.
- b33j0r 4y ago
  It’s pretty cool to write a 3D game in godot, and see a browser run it like it’s nothin. It answers the question “but can it run linux/doom?” easily. Does it have the marketshare to make AWS make significantly different decisions? Remains to be seen. I guess people paid money for serverless. Could go that way Edit: I never thought node.js would take over half of the information sphere, so read me more like a graybeard who is too young to be one.
- robertlagrant 4y ago
  > For example why do I need to know what Alpine Linux is in order to run a node app? In case you need to install anything in it as well as your application.
  - quickthrower2 4y ago
    Yes it depends on your philosophy. Lego vs. bespoke art would be my analogy. No right answer, it depends on what you want to build. I think a lot of what I might call uncharitably “webshit” which is the run of the mill stuff that is still very valuable for solving problems can run on turnkey containers.

agent281 4y ago

This seems backwards to me. Docker is built on Linux process controls and requires the Linux kernel. I believe Docker on MacOS/Windows requires a Linux VM. > Unfortunately, one of the challenges of running Docker on macOS or Windows is that these Linux primitives are unavailable. Docker Desktop goes to great lengths to emulate them without modifying the user experience of running containers. It runs a (light) Linux VM to host the Docker daemon with additional "glue" helpers to connect the Docker client, running on the host, to that VM. https://mirage.io/blog/2022-04-06.vpnkit https://mirage.io/blog/2022-04-06.vpnkit WASM and WASI would actually be a cross compatibility story because you could compile to an architecture and syscall interface that is platform agnostic.

tinyspacewizard 4y ago
> you could compile to an architecture and syscall interface that is platform agnostic The issue is that I cannot easily compile.