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Different Types of Packaging

Binary / Standalone

A binary or standalone package usually consists of a .zip or .tar.gz file that will first need to extracted. After extraction, a binary or script is executed to run the application.

Pros

No additional software should need to be installed.
Does not require any specific hardware support.
Does not require internet access for installation.
Performance is great.
Easiest to install.

Cons

Specific binaries need to be created for each OS supported.
No easy way of getting updates.
Requires extra effort from software maintainers to put the standalone package together.

Installer Packages

Installer packages consist of platform specific packages that, when executed, install the application to a specific directory and also can run some post installation configuration. File extensions typically are .exe or .msi for Windows and .deb or .rpm for linux.

Pros

Does not require any specific hardware support.
Performance is great.
Easily updated if configured to use a repository.
Easy to install using native OS tools.

Cons

May require extra software dependencies.
Packages are specific to OS.
Installation Requires internet Access.

Virtual Machine Image

Virtual machine images consist of a base operating system with the application preinstalled and preconfigured. This is then distributed as a .ova or .vmdk files.

Pros

Does not require a specific base OS.
Does not require internet for installation, as long as the VM software is installed previously.

Cons

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

Cons

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
Docker Images	Yes, docker and OS img	Yes, if using boot2docker	Host os and docker OS must match	Yes	4	3	Yes