Tebako

Features

04 Sep 2024

Tebako is an advanced executable packager designed for applications written in interpretive languages.

It simplifies distribution and deployment by packaging your entire project with a bundled runtime into a single, performant, executable binary.

Architecture

A Tebako-packaged binary is effectively a self-executing container-in-a-file.

The packaged binary contains the following components:

  • An on-file filesystem (OFFS) containing all the project files and dependencies in DwarFS format.

  • A runtime environment that includes the necessary libraries and interpreters, with patched filesystem calls that redirect access of project files to the on-file filesystem.

  • An executable loader that loads the on-file filesystem in memory and executes the project.

Supported runtimes, platforms and architectures

Tebako artifacts can be built and executed on the following platforms and architectures.

Table 1. Supported platforms and architectures
Platform and version Architectures Build system

Linux

Ubuntu 20.04

amd64, aarch64

gcc/g++: 10; clang/clang++: 12

Alpine 3.17

amd64

gcc/g++: default; clang/clang++: default

macOS

macOS 12 (Monterey)

amd64

xcode: [13.1, 14.3.1]

macOS 13 (Ventura)

amd64, aarch64

xcode: [13.1, 14.3.1]

macOS 14 (Sonoma)

amd64, aarch64

xcode: [13.1, 14.3.1, 15.4]

Windows

Windows 10

amd64

MinGW ucrt64

Windows 11

amd64

MinGW ucrt64

Windows Server 2019

amd64

MinGW ucrt64

Windows Server 2022

amd64

MinGW ucrt64
Note

Windows build caveats:

  1. Tebako may face errors related to CMake path length limitations (https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/issues/25936).

    • This error may affect not Tebako itself, but it may affect the gems that need to be packaged and use CMake to build native extensions.

    • There is no workaround for this issue as it looks like is a limitation of the manifest used to build a CMake executable.

  2. The MSys strip utility creates broken executable when tebako image is processed.

    • Linking with '-s' flag produces unusable executables as well.

    • Until this issue (#172) is resolved we plan to produce an Windows executable with debug information unstripped.

    • You can opt to run 'strip -S' manually, it most cases it works.
Table 2. Supported Ruby versions
Ruby version Supported platforms

2.7.8

Linux, macOS

3.0.7

Linux, macOS

3.1.{4,5,6}

Linux, macOS, Windows

3.2.{3,4}

Linux, macOS, Windows

3.3.{3,4}

Linux, macOS, Windows
Note
 Our goal is to support all maintained Ruby releases, including minor versions.

Packaging scenarios for Ruby

Tebako for Ruby supports the following packaging scenarios.

This is high-level description of the Tebako Ruby packaging mechanism.

Note
 These scenarios were inspired by the ruby-packer approach.
Note
 Tebako Ruby is created independently from ruby-packer, no line of code was copied from ruby-packer.

Depending on the configuration files that are present in the root project folder, the Tebako Ruby packager supports different packaging scenarios.

These scenarios differ in what files are packaged and where the entry point is located.

Here is a summary of the scenarios:

Scenario Description Packaging Entry point *.gemspec Gemfile *.gem

1

Simple ruby script

Copy <project-root> with all sub-folders to packaged filesystem

<mount_point>/local/<entry_point base name>

No

No

No

2

Packaged gem

Install the gem with gem install to packaged filesystem

<mount_point>/bin/<entry_point base name> (i.e., binstub is expected)

No

No

One

3

Gem source, no bundler

  1. Build the gem using gem build command at the host

  2. Install it with gem install to packaged filesystem

<mount_point>/bin/<entry_point base name> (i.e., binstub is expected)

One

No

Any

4

Gem source, bundler

  1. Collect dependencies at the host with bundle install

  2. Build the gem using gem build command

  3. Install it with gem install to packaged file system

<mount_point>/bin/<entry_point base name> (i.e., binstub is expected)

One

One

Any

5

Rails project

Deploy project to packaged filesystem using bundle install

<mount_point>/local/<entry_point base name>

No

One

Any

Error

Error: Two or more *.gem files present

-

-

No

No

Two or more

Error

Error: Two or more *.gemspec files present

-

-

Two or more

Any

Any

These scenarios determine how the project is packaged and where the entry point is located within the packaged filesystem.