Re:Statistical Rethinking and Nix
by random3 on Monday June 08, 2020 @01:36PM
(#23458687)
This looks like a lot of work for something that could probably easily get done with a simple docker container. It's probably a great exercise and example for Nix, but otherwise, looks like a "nix hammer" thing.
Statistical Rethinking is a great book though :)
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I always find this comparison a little... silly? I dunno, there’s probably a better word, but I can’t think of one right now.
Nix focuses on reproducible build declarations and development environments, while Docker focuses on self-contained, distributable sandboxes for code execution.
You can certainly try to use Docker to manage development environments or reproducibly build software, but that’s a secondary concern of the system. You’re probably right that these sorts of posts tend to have a “Nix hammer in search of a nail” feel, but the inevitable comparison to Docker always feels cheap to me I guess.
I think the problem is that it all feels so "one off", so Docker feels like the better option. Taken as a whole I guess all those one-offs in Nix will hopefully lead to something better in the end, there seems to be a lot of work behind the scenes here.
For us Docker is how we manage reproducibility, and it's pretty damn fine in so many ways, most certainly a lot better than Nix for the most part.
A lot better than Nix? With all the security vulnerabilities and lack of efficient storage?
Though honestly this setup for a one-off system is a bit much. For the most part I use the system level nix-R configuration instead (explained in the previous post).