All you need is docker (and fig)

Introduction

Suppose you want to run scala repl or groovy shell or any other repl-like executable. You should download executable, unpack it, set PATH environmnt variable and now you could use it. Can it be simple? Yes, dockerize everything.

Prepare containers

I expect that you have installed docker and fig on your machine.

Checkout this project from github and build containers:

$ cd docker-with-fig

$ fig build 

It could take several minutes, depends on your internet connection.

You could also build only some of available container, for example with scala and groovy:

$ fig build scala groovy

Available containers are:

• haskell
• scala
• groovy
• python27
• python34
• clojure

Run containers

Now you could start for example scala:

$ fig run scala

Welcome to Scala version 2.11.6 (Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM, Java 1.8.0_40).
Type in expressions to have them evaluated.
Type :help for more information.

scala>

Or groovy:

$ fig run groovy

Mar 29, 2015 7:48:22 AM java.util.prefs.FileSystemPreferences$1 run
INFO: Created user preferences directory.
Groovy Shell (2.4.2, JVM: 1.8.0_40)
Type ':help' or ':h' for help.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
groovy:000>

Or clojure with lein:

$ fig run clojure

nREPL server started on port 52730 on host 127.0.0.1 - nrepl://127.0.0.1:52730
REPL-y 0.3.5, nREPL 0.2.6
Clojure 1.6.0
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM 1.8.0_40-b25
    Docs: (doc function-name-here)
          (find-doc "part-of-name-here")
  Source: (source function-name-here)
 Javadoc: (javadoc java-object-or-class-here)
    Exit: Control+D or (exit) or (quit)
 Results: Stored in vars *1, *2, *3, an exception in *e

user=>

Or python 3.4:

$ fig run python34

Python 3.4.2 (default, Oct  8 2014, 13:08:17) 
[GCC 4.9.1] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>

Or ghci haskell:

$fig run haskell

GHCi, version 7.6.3: http://www.haskell.org/ghc/  :? for help
Loading package ghc-prim ... linking ... done.
Loading package integer-gmp ... linking ... done.
Loading package base ... linking ... done.
Prelude>

You could also run command on docker container with use of files from your current directory because it is mapped to /project directory on docker. Container starts with /project directory as current directory.

For example you have a simple file in your current dir:

$ cat simplePrint.scala 

println("Hello World")

You could run command with this file:

$ fig -f PATH_TO_DOCKER_WITH_FIG_PROJECT/fig.yml run scala scala simplePrint.scala

Hello World

First 'scala' in command means that you want to run scala container and 'scala simplePrint.scala' means that you want to execute this command on container.

Conclusion

It is simple, isn't it? All you need is docker and fig and you could use repl or run command with scala, groovy, cojure and any other which are currently supported...