Well, I did a podcast back in Episode 22 (crikey! 2022) covering a few of the key points regarding Docker vs WASM.

It seems WASM (Web Assembly) and WASI (Web Assembly Infrastructure) is continuing to gain strength. WASM containers could be a more lightweight option and will run anywhere - no need to switch from Linux to Windows containers.

Anyway, take a listen to find out more! :)

Some links that can provide a deeper dive if you wish:

InfoWorld Article on WASM vs Docker

Yes! You can run WASM based Docker stuff!

If you really must support me, please do here via Patreon :)

.. and further information on the Docker infrastructure vs Containerd runtime:

Docker

Docker is a comprehensive platform for developing, shipping, and running applications inside containers. It includes several components:

Docker Engine: The core part of Docker, responsible for creating and managing containers.

Docker CLI: The command-line interface for interacting with Docker.

Docker Compose: A tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications.

Docker Hub: A registry for storing and sharing container images.

containerd

containerd is a container runtime that focuses solely on managing the container lifecycle. It was originally part of Docker but was later separated to become an independent project. Key features include:

Container Lifecycle Management: Handles the creation, execution, and supervision of containers.

Image Management: Manages container images, including pulling from registries and storing locally.

Storage and Networking: Manages storage and networking for containers.

OCI Compliance: Uses Open Container Initiative (OCI)-compliant runtimes like runc for standardization and interoperability.

Key Differences

Scope: Docker is a full-fledged platform with tools for building, shipping, and running containers, while containerd is a more lightweight runtime focused on managing the container lifecycle2.

Components: Docker includes additional tools like Docker Compose and Docker Hub, whereas containerd is primarily concerned with the runtime aspects.

Usage: Docker is often used for development and deployment workflows, providing a user-friendly interface and additional features. containerd is used as a backend component in larger systems like Kubernetes, where it handles the low-level container operations.

In summary, Docker provides a complete ecosystem for container management, while containerd focuses on the core runtime functionalities, making it suitable for integration into other container orchestration systems.

Well, I originally took a look at Retool a while ago. It is a really rich application builder that allows self-hosting too (as a Docker container). I liked the idea of this given a company might want to have control of apps within their own infrastructure.

Retool as come along leaps and bounds and now:

* Still has an amazingly rich application building interface with lots of integrations options including your own API targets

* “Hands-Free” PostgreSQL database! Use whatever datastore you want (including the Retool internal one) or indeed PostgreSQL to have full database control either via SQL code or SQL GUI :)

* Has a really slick workflow module - you can trigger things, perform actions, and conditions and of course lots of integrations :)

* Mobile! Just investigating this, but check it out for yourself!

Hey, subscription to this podcast is FREE if you want to subscribe! I hadn’t realised before it forced you to pay ;) Of course, if you wish to or must pay, then please feel free with a paid subscription or via Patreon

Well, AI is certainly helping in all areas of life, for better or worse!

I decided to give GitHub Copilot a run for its money to attempt to create, or at least help, a command-line tool in dotnet to extract XML schema information (yes, they are still a “thing”) to generate SQL creation scripts i.e. table create / stored procedures and so on.

As a bonus, even though I know nothing of the Rust language, my good friend Tim does! (that is the symbol “0x5” formerly known as Tim Abell!)

So, I decided to ask our AI friend to convert the dotnet application to Rust… and it did!

Well, it runs and seems to provide the same output as the dotnet app however, since I don’t really know Rust (yet!), this might give me some insight at least!

Anyway, until the next time!