Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

19 Oct 2024

Why use Tebako?

Tebako is particularly useful for developers who need to:

• Distribute applications without requiring users to have specific runtimes installed.

• Simplify the deployment process by packaging all dependencies into one binary.

• Ensure consistency across different environments by using a single executable.

• Flexibility to support different runtime versions on the user’s machine.

How do I know I need Tebako?

You might need Tebako if you:

• Want to package your application into a single, self-contained binary.

• Want to avoid the complexities of managing runtime environments on target machines.

• Distribute software to environments where installing runtimes and their dependencies is challenging.

• Require a streamlined way to deliver applications to end-users.

• Need to ensure that your application runs consistently across different environments and architectures.

What is DwarFS?

DwarFS is a fast, high compression read-only user-land file system designed for efficient storage and access of large collections of files.

It is used by Tebako to package applications into a compact and efficient format.

Tebako uses libdwarfs, the library form of DwarFS, developed for the Tebako project.

When is Tebako better than comparable solutions?

Tebako offers several advantages over comparable solutions for supported interpretive languages.

They are listed in order of the degree of virtualization below.

Tebako stands out by providing a lightweight runtime bundling approach that simplifies distribution and deployment while offering flexibility and efficiency.

It eliminates the need for users to have specific runtimes installed and ensures consistency across different environments.

With Tebako, you can package your entire project with a bundled runtime into a single, performant, executable binary.

Solution	Pros	Cons
Virtual machines (VMs)	Provides full isolation and compatibility across environments	Requires a separate VM installation for each application Heavy resource consumption for virtualization
Docker	Provides portable containers Isolates entire applications and their dependencies Supports easy deployment and scalability	Requires Docker installation and management Requires administrative rights on machine Containerization overhead
Tebako	Packages all files and dependencies into a single binary Supports multiple operating systems and architectures Provides efficient packaging and execution with DwarFS Offers security features like signing on macOS Simplifies distribution and deployment Native running speed	Initial packaging time longer than Ruby gems Minor runtime overhead
Ruby Gems	Easy installation of Ruby libraries Provides user-side version control and dependency management	Requires Ruby installation and gem management Runtime execution dependent on the user’s installed Ruby version and gems

What are the future plans for Tebako?

• Downloading new DwarFS images to be stored in the local home directory

• Allowing loading multiple DwarFS images in a stacked way

• Supporting a COW mechanism that the newly written files are stored in a separate image that can be loaded on top of the read-only file systems.