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> I know you wanted to "choose boring tech" to just run some containers. The people advocating for boring tech generally aren't interested in containers. You
by jstanley 6mo ago
> I know you wanted to "choose boring tech" to just run some containers.
The people advocating for boring tech generally aren't interested in containers.
You can just run programs.
- stavros 6mo agoContainers are just statically-linked programs for the rest of us.
- subhobroto 6mo agoI am a big fan which is why I am saying this: you're dismissing the kernel and ABI surface is a huge assumption that must hold true for your comment to hold stavros. If you had said "unikernels" I would have had no arguments to make.
- stavros 6mo agoWhat do you mean? Statically linked programs depend on the kernel too.
- subhobroto 6mo agoright - that's precisely what I meant. I read your comment "Containers are just statically-linked programs for the rest of us." as "containers can be replaced by statically-linked programs". If you didn't imply that, I apologize. If you did mean that, I disagree with you precisely because your point works if you only care about dependency management - it falls apart on system state. A static binary is a process on the host and shares the same process space, network stack, and filesystem. OTOH, a container is a jail (the primary usecase): I can't cgroup a static binary's memory usage or give it a virtual network interface without reimplementing "container lite". Containers aren't just 'statically linked programs' - they allow me to use the kernel as a hypervisor for isolated environments. What they are though, a messy but practical compromise to Unikernels - which was my last point in our GP.
- stavros 6mo agoOh, no, I meant that containers serve the same purpose as statically linked programs for languages that can't do that. Eg if you want to deploy a Python codebase, a container is a good way to include all dependencies. I didn't mean "containers don't have any advantages compared to statically linked programs".
- r_lee 6mo agoI 100% thought you were yelling a the clouds lol. see it way too often on HN
- PunchyHamster 6mo agoLegacy apps are far nicer if they are containerized. If your app is just a blob that can be run it is fine, but many languages make it more complicate. I wonder if just putting app into .appimage + using systemd for some of the separation would be a sweet spot ?
- turtlebits 6mo agoThe problem is that running programs isn't always trivial. I have no interest in going back to the hell that is deploying a java app.