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- Does not require a specific base OS.
- Does not require internet for installation, as long as the VM software is installed previously.
Cons
- Easy to install.
- Easy to upgrade after initial install. (If updating packages in the virtual machine.)
Cons
- Requires VM software to be installed (e.g. VirtualBox)
- Requires Hardware support
- Performance is not as good as native.
Docker image
A docker images consists of virtual container containing a minimal OS and the application pre installed and preconfigured. The most common form of distribution is in a source repository, or through Docker Hub.
Pros
- Performance is very close to native.
- Easy to get new updates once installed.
Cons
- Requires docker and base os it be installed before running image.
- Requires Hardware support on non linux OS.
- Host OS and image OS must match. (e.g. Linux os will run only linux images.)
- Requires internet access to get base image
| Packaging Solution | Requires Additional Software | Requires Hardware Support | Requires Operating System Support | Requires Internet Access | Performance(1-5) | Ease of Install(1-5) | Easy to update | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone Binary | No | No | Standalone is specific to OS | No | 5 | 5 | No | |||||||||||||
| Installer Packages | Yes, dependencies | No | Packages are specific to OS | Yes | 5 | 4 | Yes | |||||||||||||
| Virtual Machine Images | Yes, VM software | Yes, AMD-V or VT-x | No | No | 3 | 4 | No | Yes* | ||||||||||||
| Docker Images | Yes, docker and OS img | Yes, if using boot2docker | Host os and docker OS must match | Yes | 4.5 | 32 | Yes |
How to decide flow chart