June 2017 Summaries

The text provides a detailed account of dealing with third-party Docker containers, specifically Hashicorp's Vault, in CircleCI 2.0 environments. It highlights the challenges faced when attempting to access resources within containers that are not automatically included in the user's execution environment. The author describes a workaround using Python's SimpleHTTPServer to expose the filesystem of a Vault container, enabling access to the vault-token necessary for testing. This approach involves creating a custom Dockerfile that installs Python and sets up the server to run alongside Vault. The solution is integrated into a CircleCI configuration, allowing for seamless testing and deployment. The text also mentions publishing the customized container to Dockerhub for streamlined use in multi-image layer setups, ensuring efficient continuous deployment processes.

Snapcraft, the package management system designed to streamline software delivery across Linux distributions, leverages the concept of Snaps, which encapsulate and isolate entire applications for enhanced security, stability, and portability. This system allows a single Snap to be installed on various Linux versions such as Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora, using cross-distro tools aimed at simplifying the process of building and publishing software. The document outlines the process of building Snap packages using CircleCI 2.0, emphasizing the use of machine and Docker executors to manage dependencies across different Linux versions. It discusses testing strategies for Snap packages, including running acceptance tests on multiple Linux distributions using CircleCI Workflows to ensure compatibility and functionality before publishing to the Snap Store. The text also covers methods for persisting Snap packages and securely handling Snap Store credentials during the deployment process.