Constructing a better multiplatform build system

We next tried operating system virtualization technology Virtuozzo. Based on this technology, we created a build system, each variant with its own “virtual environment” (VE). Each of these VEs was originally based on one of the prepackaged Linux distributions. (You can also package your own version instead.)

After creating a VE, we introduced required modifications for the build process, like installation of required compilers, libraries, or package managers. We then retrieved sources and required build scripts and makefile scripts. We placed sources into root templates of the Virtuozzo File System (VZFS) that are shared by many VEs. This ensured that sources would be accessible from all VEs but would not be copied multiple times into each VE. In cases where it’s necessary to modify the source code, VZFS maintains a private copy of the modified file, which saved us significant disk space. Shared libraries from the template were also loaded in the memory only once, providing much needed system memory savings, as well.