simonw/datasette

Explore if SquashFS can be used to shrink size of packaged Docker containers

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#327 opened on Jun 24, 2018

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help wantedresearch

Description

Inspired by this article: https://cldellow.com/2018/06/22/sqlite-parquet-vtable.html#sqlite-database-indexed--squashed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SquashFS is "a compressed read-only file system for Linux" - which means it could be a really nice fit for Datasette and its read-only SQLite databases.

It would be interesting to explore a Dockerfile recipe that used SquashFS to compress the SQLite database file that was bundled up by datasette package and friends.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
pythondockersqlite
Domain
backenddevopsperformance
Issue type
research
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
4
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
3-5 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
Docker basicsPythonSQLiteSquashFS concept
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
20
Research direction
Investigate how SquashFS can be used to compress SQLite databases in Docker containers built by `datasette package`. Examine the current Dockerfile generation in datasette (likely in `datasette/package.py`). Experiment with adding a SquashFS compression step for the database file and measure size reduction. Consider trade offs in read performance and compatibility. Review the linked article for inspiration and check for any existing discussions or PRs in the repository.
Explore if SquashFS can be used to shrink size of packaged Docker containers · simonw/datasette#327 | Good First Issue