What methods can we use to reliably capture the computational environment?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking about different methods that can be used to reliably capture the computational environment in a software development context. It requires knowledge of various concepts such as README files, containers, and virtual machines.

More Information

Containers and virtual machines are reliable methods for capturing computational environments because they can encapsulate complete configurations, dependencies, and software needed to reproduce the exact setup.

Tips

A common mistake is assuming source code comments or README files are sufficient to capture the environment; they document but don't encapsulate execution conditions.

Sources

• Capturing Computational Environments - The Turing Way - book.the-turing-way.org
• Computing environments for reproducibility: Capturing the “Whole ... - sciencedirect.com