3. User Environment Customization/Virtualization on Metis
Podman + Docker vs Singularity/Apptainer + Docker vs Conda vs Modulefiles
Metis provides several technologies to encapsulate environments and manage software dependencies. Each of these tools—Podman, Docker, Singularity/Apptainer, Conda, and Modulefiles—has different strengths and weaknesses, depending on your use case.
Any technology marked with a "⭐" is a strong candidate in its given feature.
Comparison Chart
| Feature | Podman + Docker | Singularity/Apptainer | Conda | Modulefiles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use Case | ⭐ General development, CI/CD, image availability | ⭐ HPC environments, scientific computing | Managing isolated software environments | Dynamic loading of software on HPC clusters |
| Image/Package Repository | ⭐ Docker Hub (extremely large and varied) | Smaller ecosystem, focus on reproducibility | Anaconda repository (⭐ only if using Python or R) | Pre-installed software for the HPC cluster |
| Security | Rootless operation (Podman) | ⭐ High security in multi-user environments | No OS-level isolation | ⭐ Tied to user permissions on HPC |
| Integration with HPC | Limited, requires config | Optimized for HPC environments | Limited, not designed for HPC | Native integration with HPC systems |
| Ease of Use in HPC | Very easy, but requires some minimal configuration | Tedious but straightforward to work with | Simple for general use (but not HPC-optimized) | ⭐ Extremely easy to use, but requires cluster-specific knowledge |