Understanding Docker Determinism

Oct 13, 2025 by talynt.org 105 views

As a block node engineer, the primary goal is to make significant changes to the system efficiently, thereby delivering value to our users as rapidly as possible. In pursuit of this objective, we have identified a complex and somewhat brittle process for "docker determinism" in the CI (Continuous Integration) currently, which causes quite a bit of rework for an uncertain gain.

Understanding Docker Determinism

Docker determinism refers to the process of ensuring that the output of a Docker build is consistent and reproducible, regardless of the environment in which it is executed. This is achieved by checking the determinism of the Docker build process, which involves verifying that the output of the build is the same every time it is run, even if the environment is different.

The Current CI Process

The current CI process for docker determinism is complex and brittle, leading to a significant amount of rework for an uncertain gain. This process involves a series of checks and tests that are designed to ensure that the Docker build process is deterministic. However, these checks and tests are sensitive to changes in the environment, which can lead to false positives and false negatives.

The Problem with the Current Process

The current process for docker determinism is problematic for several reasons:

Rework: The process involves a significant amount of rework, which can be time-consuming and frustrating.
Uncertain Gain: The benefits of the process are uncertain, and it is not clear whether the checks and tests are actually providing any value.
Sensitivity to Changes: The process is sensitive to changes in the environment, which can lead to false positives and false negatives.

Removing the Docker Determinism Check

In light of these issues, we have decided to remove the docker determinism check and related code for now. This decision is based on the following reasons:

Efficiency: Removing the check will allow us to make changes to the system more efficiently, without the need for rework.
Uncertainty: The benefits of the check are uncertain, and it is not clear whether it is actually providing any value.
Robustness: Removing the check will allow us to build a new CI check that is more robust and less sensitive to changes that have no impact on the repeatability of OCI image generation.

Building a New CI Check

In the future, we plan to build a new CI check that is more robust and less sensitive to changes that have no impact on the repeatability of OCI image generation. This new check will be designed to provide more accurate and reliable results, while also being more efficient and less prone to rework.

Benefits of Removing the Docker Determinism Check

Removing the docker determinism check will have several benefits, including:

Increased Efficiency: Removing the check will allow us to make changes to the system more efficiently, without the need for rework.
Improved Robustness: The new CI check will be more robust and less sensitive to changes that have no impact on the repeatability of OCI image generation.
Reduced Uncertainty: The benefits of the new check will be more clear, and it will be easier to determine whether it is providing any value.

Conclusion

In conclusion, removing the docker determinism check and related code is a step towards efficient system development. This decision is based on the need to increase efficiency, improve robustness, and reduce uncertainty. In the future, we plan to build a new CI check that is more robust and less sensitive to changes that have no impact on the repeatability of OCI image generation.

Future Work

Design and Implement a New CI Check: We will design and implement a new CI check that is more robust and less sensitive to changes that have no impact on the repeatability of OCI image generation.
Test and Validate the New Check: We will test and validate the new check to ensure that it is providing accurate and reliable results.
Monitor and Evaluate the New Check: We will monitor and evaluate the new check to ensure that it is meeting its intended goals and providing value to our users.

Technical Notes

Complexity: The current CI process for docker determinism is complex and brittle, leading to a significant amount of rework for an uncertain gain.
Sensitivity to Changes: The process is sensitive to changes in the environment, which can lead to false positives and false negatives.
Uncertainty: The benefits of the process are uncertain, and it is not clear whether the checks and tests are actually providing any value.

Story Form

As we continue to work on removing the docker determinism check and related code, we have received several questions from our team members and stakeholders. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions and their answers.

Q: What is the purpose of the docker determinism check?

A: The purpose of the docker determinism check is to ensure that the output of a Docker build is consistent and reproducible, regardless of the environment in which it is executed.

Q: Why is the current CI process for docker determinism complex and brittle?

A: The current CI process for docker determinism is complex and brittle because it involves a series of checks and tests that are designed to ensure that the Docker build process is deterministic. However, these checks and tests are sensitive to changes in the environment, which can lead to false positives and false negatives.

Q: What are the benefits of removing the docker determinism check?

A: The benefits of removing the docker determinism check include:

Increased Efficiency: Removing the check will allow us to make changes to the system more efficiently, without the need for rework.
Improved Robustness: The new CI check will be more robust and less sensitive to changes that have no impact on the repeatability of OCI image generation.
Reduced Uncertainty: The benefits of the new check will be more clear, and it will be easier to determine whether it is providing any value.

Q: What is the plan for building a new CI check?

A: The plan for building a new CI check is to design and implement a check that is more robust and less sensitive to changes that have no impact on the repeatability of OCI image generation. We will test and validate the new check to ensure that it is providing accurate and reliable results.

Q: How will the new CI check be different from the current one?

A: The new CI check will be different from the current one in several ways:

Robustness: The new check will be more robust and less sensitive to changes that have no impact on the repeatability of OCI image generation.
Efficiency: The new check will be more efficient and less prone to rework.
Accuracy: The new check will provide more accurate and reliable results.

Q: What is the timeline for implementing the new CI check?

A: The timeline for implementing the new CI check is still to be determined. However, we plan to have a working prototype of the new check within the next few weeks, and we will continue to iterate and refine the check until it meets our requirements.

Q: How will the removal of the docker determinism check affect our users?

A: The removal of the docker determinism check will not affect our users in any significant way. The new CI check will be designed to provide more accurate and reliable results, and it will be more efficient and less prone to rework.

Q: What is the next step in the process of removing the docker determinism check?

A: The next step in the process of removing the docker determinism check is to design and implement a new CI check that is more robust and less sensitive to changes that have no impact on the repeatability of OCI image generation. We will test and validate the new check to ensure that it is providing accurate and reliable results.

Technical Notes

Complexity: The current CI process for docker determinism is complex and brittle, leading to a significant amount of rework for an uncertain gain.
Sensitivity to Changes: The process is sensitive to changes in the environment, which can lead to false positives and false negatives.
Uncertainty: The benefits of the process are uncertain, and it is not clear whether the checks and tests are actually providing any value.

Story Form

As a block node engineer, I want to make significant changes to the system efficiently, so that I can deliver value to our users as rapidly as possible. I want to remove the docker determinism check and related code, and build a new CI check that is more robust and less sensitive to changes that have no impact on the repeatability of OCI image generation.