Doug Parker 🕸️

Getting started is easy!

First install a Linux distribution.
Then make sure `apt` is installed.
Then install `snap`.
Then install `Node`.
Then install `pnpm`.
Then install the workspace and its build tool with `pnpm install`.
Then run the build tool.

Aug 20, 2025 at 5:40pmWeb
Show threadDoug Parker 🕸️Aug 20, 2025
This post brought to you by trying to build #Angular DevTools inside a #buildah environment and isn't nearly as absurd as you think it is.
Show threadjnkrtechAug 20, 2025
@develwithoutacause one of my least favorite things about trying new dev-focused software is having to set up a whole build chain for a language I don’t know on a regular basis. I get that people don’t like docker but I don’t know how one could reasonably self-host a range of software without containers.
Show threadDoug Parker 🕸️Aug 20, 2025

@jnkrtech My least favorite is "Just `gem install $pkg`."

Ok, but I don't write Ruby and this is a generic web tool, not a Ruby library. Why do I care what language this was written in and why is that codified in the install step?

Looking at you `npm install -g @Google/gemini-cli`.

Show threadjnkrtechAug 20, 2025
@develwithoutacause I had a really fun time with something like this last week, with a reminder that things can always get worse:
https://social.treehouse.systems/@jnkrtech/115035288112641575
jnkrtech (@[email protected])

People complain about npm packages, and also about Python packages, but I am trying to install a piece of PHP software and I am actively stunned by how bad this is. It looks like I have to use apt to install a system level dependency for all of these missing “extensions”? Please someone tell me that this isn’t the case

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Show threadDoug Parker 🕸️Aug 20, 2025

@jnkrtech Yeah, I was trying to install Node at a specific patch version via `apt-get` today for the same problem and amazed at how hard it is.

You can't just `apt install node=1.2.3`, you need to find a special tag using a different tool and reference that.

Web devs give the #NPM ecosystem a lot of crap (justifiably), but let's not overlook just how magical `npm install` actually is.