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| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 30 |
1 files changed, 16 insertions, 14 deletions
@@ -788,8 +788,8 @@ future. built or the versions of their dependencies (which is not good). As in [zenodo.1164774](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1164774) or [zenodo.1163746](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1163746), the best we - can do is distribute the tarballs of the necessary software. The - solution here is based on [an interesting + can currently do is distribute the tarballs of the necessary + software. The solution here is based on [an interesting tutorial](https://mozillafoundation.github.io/2017-fellows-sf/re-papers/index.html) by the Mozilla science lab to build reproducible papers. It suggests using the [Nix package manager](https://nixos.org/nix/about.html) to @@ -800,19 +800,21 @@ future. language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheme_(programming_language)), not a custom language for the management) will allow a fully working closed environment on the host system which contains the instructions - on how to build the environment. It also allows separate versions of a - software to co-exist, so it is not necessary to change important - programs (that have been updated for example) to run a particular - reproduction pipeline. The fact that with Nix or Guix, the instructions - to build the dependencies is also inherently included, makes them a - much better solution than binary containers like - [docker](https://www.docker.com/) which are essentially just a black - box and only usable on the given CPU architecture. The initial running - of Nix or Guix and setting up the environment can also be included in a - `Makefile` of this pipeline to be fully automatic. The software + on how to build the environment. These package managers can also + co-exist with the package manager of the host's operating system and + they allow separate versions of a software to be present. Thus it is + not necessary to change existing programs on the host system (that have + been updated for example) to run a particular reproduction + pipeline. The availability of the instructions to build the programs + and environment with Nix or Guix, makes them a better solution than + binary containers like [docker](https://www.docker.com/) which are + essentially just a binary (not human readable) black box and only + usable on the given CPU architecture. The initial running of Nix or + Guix and setting up of the environment can also be included in a + `Makefile` of this pipeline, and thus be fully automatic. The software tarballs (to be used by Nix or Guix) can also be uploaded/archived, as - we do now, and they can be instructed to get the tarballs for building - the environment from there. + we do now. These package managers can then be instructed to get the + tarballs for building the environment from there. |