Using Docker to triage Nasty-Bugs(tm)

Docker is the container system for reproducible builds. This is precisely what you want when dealing with bugs, especially the nastiest one: an environment where to reproduce it in a fully deterministic way.

Not long ago, I had to troubleshoot the install process of a new cool piece of software. The weird and really uncool thing with this bug is that it only occurred on the first install install attempt. Even with a full (well, in theory) wipe, there still remained some kind of side effect on the system causing the subsequents install attempts to succeed. Anyone who has ever dealt with Q/A will know what I mean when I say this is pretty damn frustrating. (1)