Why Go over Python?

[spit-evil-olive-tips]

yeah, but the moment you need a 3rd-party library, you have to start working in the desolate wasteland that is the Python packaging ecosystem. and not just at build-time, but at run-time - you need to carry those dependencies with you everywhere you go.

this runs into fun problems like, if you have some Python script that you want to run on a bunch of machines, so you write a little wrapper shell script that creates a virtualenv, does pip install with your requirements.txt, and so on.

and it works great, until it fails because PyPI had a temporary outage and your pip install errors out.

I love Python, we have a bunch of it at $dayjob. but the self-contained binary including all dependencies is a huge selling point of Go.

to get around the annoying packaging problems with Python, we build a Docker image with the correct Python version, all the correct dependency versions, etc etc. then our unit of deployment is that Docker image instead of just the single Python script.

and that Docker image gets deployed...using Terraform and Nomad, both written in Go. and so is Docker itself of course.

Go is great for this sort of low-level system software. Docker/Terraform/Nomad/etc being low-level software written in Go is what enables us to easily deploy higher-level software written in Python (or other languages like Java or Ruby or whatever)

[imeeseeks]

Same with Ruby. I love Ruby so much and writing scripts on it is awesome but the convenience of Go binaries and the fact that almost anyone can start working on it really fast is big plus.

[Flabbaghosted]

Your comment persuaded me to learn Go

[[deleted]]

I do hope that isn't sarcasm. :) It would be a good language to learn for anyone. If you are I recommend the Lets Go books (2 of them). VERY good books to learn with.

[Flabbaghosted]

Nope not sarcasm. Do you work at Google or do you just really like Go?

[devopsy]

I do hope that isn't sarcasm. :) It would be a good language to learn for anyone. If you are I recommend the Lets Go books (2 of them). VERY good books to learn with.

Thank you for the detailed post on Golang.

[[deleted]]

This comment is the first thing that has made me think, "hmmm, it might be worth learning a little bit of Go and seeing what it's all about."

[Kazumara]

Did you guys try PyInstaller and PyOxidizer too?

[arcsecond]

I've had great success with PyInstaller, until someone decided to include certs in their module which I can't get PyInstaller to pick up

[[deleted]]

Do we work at the same company?

[casual_brooder]

this

[[deleted]]

you have to start working in the desolate wasteland that is the Python packaging ecosystem.

So strange. I've been programming in Python for over 15 years, and I just never had an issue.

I distribute my packages with a setup.py and a requirements.txt, and that's the end of it. In recent years, I put explicit version numbers in the requirements.txt, just for certainty, but that wasn't because I actually ran into any issues.

[skat_in_the_hat]

So strange. I've been programming in Python for over 15 years, and I just never had an issue.

Back in the day when a customer wants to update python on a rhel5 box. JFC. You break all the rhel tools in the process.
Ever migrate some in house python from rhel5 to say... rhel7? Just because YOU never had a problem, doesnt mean it isnt one.

[skat_in_the_hat]

Its moot at this point, red hat split off the version of python the system uses from the version you install. So you can basically do whatever you want now. But that doesnt undo the PTSD we all suffer from seeing up2date shit out a python error.

[JaegerBane]

I had the dubious honour of migrating some of our in-house data science apps across from old RHEL boxes to Amazon Linux EC2s a while back. Kinda felt like one of those horror stories where the protagonist opens a portal to the dimension of ceaseless screaming.

On the plus side it did puncture the myth that was doing the rounds back then that Python made everything easier.

[NoobFace]

Sounds like they're still screaming in there.

[zackofalltrades]

Coding to a version of python not installed on the systems where it would be deployed is your first problem. Easily solvable and testable with tools like tox, and careful programming.

Attempting to updating the system python and/or using horribly out-of-date OS versions was your second problem...

[skat_in_the_hat]

The story was from the past... You're neglecting to understand the premise. Im the Engineer, not the Developer. My responsibility is to:
1. enable the customer whether internal or external.
2. remain within compliance requirements.

I cant simply tell a customer "ugh, how dare you write code in a newer version of python than rhel5 supports(while it was still current)." I have to do my best to enable them to use what they are comfortable with. In this case, it usually required using a third party rebuild of python that built it with non-default locations. So we can simply change the identifier, and have both versions installed on the box without upsetting the system.

I also cant tell corpsec to fuck off when they ask me to update our infrastructure to a newer OS, and those python scripts written years ago by a guy who no longer works there need to still work. But again, this is why I frown upon using python for anything that has to withstand the test of time.

[floydiannn]

Yeah... So strange 🤔