What are common anti-patterns for Hermetic builds?

Hermetic builds aim to create self-contained packages that are reproducible and isolated from external influences. However, several common anti-patterns can undermine their effectiveness:

  • Hardcoded Dependencies: Relying on fixed versions of tools and libraries can lead to breaking changes or incompatibility issues. Instead, use version constraints to maintain flexibility.
  • Environment-Specific Configurations: Configurations that vary between environments can lead to different build outputs. Use environment variables or configuration files that can be adjusted based on the target environment.
  • Inconsistent Build Scripts: Using different build scripts for various environments can break reproducibility. Aim to standardize build processes across all environments.
  • Lack of Documentation: Without proper documentation of the build process and dependencies, it becomes difficult to troubleshoot and replicate builds. Ensure comprehensive documentation is available.
  • Ignoring Build Caches: This can lead to longer build times and increased resource consumption. Utilize build caching judiciously to speed up the process.

hermetic builds anti-patterns reproducibility dependencies build process