[rmetzler]

> Sometimes installing an entire programming language just to use one tool is not worth the time I could possibly waste just trying to figure out how to get it working (assuming it works).

That's why I would love to see more Docker containers and docker-compose.yaml files for tools shared on HN. A Docker container for this would be super simple to build using an official Ruby Docker container and it would save so much time for anyone who wants to try the tool.

[archimedespi]

I'm so sick of people wanting to package literally everything as a Docker container. That assumes:

- You're running Linux (or have access to a Linux box)

- The box running Linux is x86_64

- You have a modern kernel set up

- The box has a bunch of ram

- The box has a bunch of disk space (for installing Docker)

Docker forces you to have modern Intel-based hardware. Which excludes people with stuff like the Novena[1] or an old Thinkpad (because 32bits).

- [1]: https://www.crowdsupply.com/sutajio-kosagi/novena

[corobo]

Docker for a command line tool? I thought docker was more for your public facing service sort of thing. Does it even have a full on terminal, being a container?

I'll be honest I've not been keeping up with Docker. It shows, right?

[xj9]

A Docker container is like chroot, but portable. So yes. You can do

    docker exec -it $NAME /bin/bash

to get a shell in a running container, or

    docker run --rm -it $NAME /bin/bash

to get a shell in a new container that will remove itself upon exit. Neither of these require your docker host to be local.

[jonesetc]

-t when running a docker container allocates a pseudo-tty.

Docker is useful for trying out cli interpreters like this, iojs, or any thing else of the sort. I wouldn't want to use docker if I planned on keeping it around to use more than a couple of times though.