2019-05-02 22:58:58 +00:00
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.. _specification:
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====================================================
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The Reproducible Execution Environment Specification
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====================================================
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2019-05-03 16:33:37 +00:00
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repo2docker scans a repository for particular :ref:`config-files`, such
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as ``requirements.txt`` or ``REQUIRE``. The collection of files, their contents,
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and the resulting actions that repo2docker takes is known
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as the **Reproducible Execution Environment Specification** (or REES).
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2019-05-03 16:33:37 +00:00
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The goal of the REES is to automate and encourage existing community best practices
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for reproducible computational environments. This includes installing pacakges using
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community-standard specification files and their corresponding tools,
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such as ``requirements.txt`` (with ``pip``), ``REQUIRE`` (with Julia), or
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``apt.txt`` (with ``apt``). While repo2docker automates the
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creation of the environment, a human should be able to look at a REES-compliant
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repository and reproduce the environment using common, clear steps without
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repo2docker software.
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2019-05-02 22:58:58 +00:00
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Currently, the definition of the REE Specification is the following:
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2019-05-03 22:08:48 +00:00
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Any directory containing zero or more files from the :ref:`config-files` list is a
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valid reproducible execution environment as defined by the REES. The
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configuration files have to all be placed either in the root of the
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directory, in a ``binder/`` sub-directory or a ``.binder/`` sub-directory.
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2019-05-03 16:33:37 +00:00
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For example, the REES recognises ``requirements.txt`` as a valid config file.
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The file format is as defined by the ``requirements.txt`` standard of the Python
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community. A REES-compliant tool will install a Python interpreter (of unspecified version)
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and perform the equivalent action of ``pip install -r requirements.txt`` so that the
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user can afterwards run python and use the packages installed.
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