How to containerize a Linux native application in order to have multiple versions of it running at the same time from mostly the same codebase?

IntroducingPestDelicious

8/14/23, 7:03 PM

I have a Linux server application that is no longer supported by the vendor.

I need to run 2-3 versions of this application at the same time in parallel.

I can set up different VMs for it, and it works just fine, but it consumes more resources than needed.

Another approach would be to run it in containers, but again, in this case I would have to have 2-3 copies of the same application, which takes a lot of space on a disk, and the different versions of this application are 99% the same in terms of files and differ only in a few binary files that come with it, so it will take a lot of expensive SSD media.

Is there a way to containerize it such that it uses the same codebase, but only a few files, that make the versions different with each other, are made virtually available for every version process (elf executable), while the rest of the files that don't change between the versions and which comprise the bulk of the application are taken from the same source?

Or is there a way to deduplicate somehow the different versions down to file level granularity, so it doesn't take as much space as full copies?

I'm okay with just hints as answers, on which I plan to follow up and write up the full solution if it ends up working.

0 + 0

virtualization

linux

deduplication

containers

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: How to containerize a Linux native application in order to have multiple versions of it running at the same time from mostly the same codebase?

TH: วิธีการบรรจุแอปพลิเคชันดั้งเดิมของ Linux เพื่อให้มีหลายเวอร์ชันทำงานพร้อมกันจาก codebase เดียวกันเป็นส่วนใหญ่

RO: Cum să containerizezi o aplicație nativă Linux pentru a avea mai multe versiuni ale acesteia care rulează în același timp din aceeași bază de cod?

RU: Как контейнеризовать нативное приложение Linux, чтобы несколько его версий работали одновременно, в основном из одной и той же кодовой базы?

VI: Làm cách nào để chứa một ứng dụng gốc Linux để có nhiều phiên bản của nó chạy cùng lúc từ hầu hết cùng một cơ sở mã?

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