Container Workspace Environment for Development

Installation

1. Install Dependencies:

   1. docker or podman
   2. distrobox

2. Create Container:

distrobox create --image ghcr.io/simonwoodtli/workspace-alpine -n workspace -Y
distrobox enter workspace

3. Setup Dotfiles:

curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SimonWoodtli/dotfiles/main/scripts/__template-scripts/get-dotfiles.sh | bash
chezmoi -S $HOME/Repos/github.com/SimonWoodtli/dotfiles init --apply
exec bash -l

4. Setup Container:

just -f $HOME/Repos/github.com/SimonWoodtli/dotfiles/.justfile firstboot-workspace

Description

This image is a customized workspace based on the latest alpine version. It includes all the tools I need for my terminal-centric workflow and gets updated and rebuild daily. This not only allows me to set up and maintain an up-to-date workspace, but it also helps me keep track of my personalized installation data. Moreover, a GitHub Action is set up to update packages and rebuild the image on a daily basis, ensuring that I have access to the latest features and enhancements. The ultimate goal of this setup is to provide a seamless and cloud-native UNIX terminal experience that can be used in conjunction with a dotfile manager for a zero-configuration, 'it just works' experience out of the box.

Not only can this image be used as a standalone on any machine that has docker/podman installed, but it also seamlessly integrates with my cloud-native desktop setup, providing an even more comprehensive experience.

Upgrade Container

🧐 To just upgrade your containers packages: distrobox upgrade --all

1. Open a host terminal

• Method 1: (recommended) To upgrade to the latest major Alpine version or simply get a fresh container:

distrobox stop workspace
distrobox rm workspace
podman system prune --all
distrobox create --image ghcr.io/simonwoodtli/workspace-alpine -n workspace -Y

• Method 2: (not recommended) To upgrade to the latest major Alpine version manually. Update the repo to the latest version see wiki

🧐 Upgrading shouldn't cause any hiccups. Because all your config files in your $HOME are actually a mounted volume to the host.

However if you installed programs manually or build stuff from source as system-wide installs then does programs won't survive an upgrade. It's best to include installs in packages.yml or recipe.yml if packages are available. Or directly build it from source within build.sh (e.g. mutt-wizard). That way you can have a smooth upgrade experience.

Related:

• https://github.com/ublue-os
• https://github.com/rwxrob/workspace