

Panamax: Docker Management for Humans - waffle_ss
http://panamax.io

======
terhechte
I was able to play with the Panamax beta for the last couple of days, and it
is an impressive system. The ease of use as well as the UI make it feel as if
complex web applications can be installed as easily as local desktop apps on a
Mac. I.e. due to the containerization and the use of setup scripts one can
really easily install several interdependent dependencies in with one click. I
installed a couple of open source systems just to see how it works, pretty
awesome.

I'm currently using Docker + Fig for all my Docker development and deployment
needs. That's already a very simple solution, but it still requires finding
different docker images, finding the necessary parameters in the
documentation, and finally combining the images + the various parameters in a
single fig.yml file.

Panamax uses setup scripts which are very, very similar to those scripts that
Orchard's Fig uses (which was just aquired by Docker). Only that it combines
what I explained above in a single template that combines multiple images
(Postgres + Nginx + PHP + Redis, for example) and lets you just run it with
the click of a button.

And, as it is with Docker installations, no local tainting of you main system
with various databases (like postgres / redis); everything is installed in a
container and runs in a container. Your main system stays clean.

I like it.

~~~
kentonv
So it sounds like you still do have to know e.g. what a database is? This
isn't meant as something for end users to use to run their own server, but
rather meant to make a sys admin's life easier? (Just trying to figure out how
this relates to sandstorm.io.)

------
heavenlyhash
A note on usability to the authors of the sites for open-source projects like
this: my personal "user story" case study flows something like this:

1\. I read the front page, skim the comment thread, and determine that this is
roughly relevant to my interests.

2\. I check that it's open source, because if it's not something I can install
inside my firewall, my interest is terminated. (I expect this to be a quicker
and easier check than almost any other validator, so I do it first.)

3\. I search for the word "source" and "github" on the front page. No links?
Hrm.

4\. I search for the word "source" and "github" on the "get panamax" page.
STILL no links?

5\. ...? I guess next step is to copy the project name into google and look
for the repo from there. But danger, project maintainers, danger: this is a
step in the conversion funnel where I simply might get distracted and you
might lose me before I make it farther.

In all honesty, I am still going to try things from a binary release before I
try building it from source -- I'm no huge exception to the basic truths about
onboarding flow needing as much ease as possible. But I'm still going to look
to see if the source actually exists first.

In this case, the github can be found by searching for the project name, and
also by following some of the documentation links, which jump to a wiki on
github. But I want that _flow_. The "Panamax is an open-source product from
CenturyLink" footer line would be a great place for a direct link to the
source repo.

~~~
cardmagic
Great feedback, we have GitHub icons in the header and footer, but you are
totally right, needs to be text... working on it now! BTW, here is the GitHub
repo: [https://github.com/CenturyLinkLabs/panamax-
ui/wiki](https://github.com/CenturyLinkLabs/panamax-ui/wiki)

~~~
heavenlyhash
D'oh! I should have seen those. Sorry, I rely far to heavily on ctrl-f :)

~~~
cardmagic
No worries, you had a good point. We just added text link for the word "Source
Code"

------
therealmarv
This all (Panamax + Fig) looks like a copycat of Ubuntu Juju. But in Ubuntu
Juju you have a decent command line tool and decent UI all in one and you are
not restricted to Docker only. Only needs more love and collaboration with
Docker.

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griffinheart
Looks awesome, got all excited, then even more excited about the contest and
then I read the FAQ.

>I'm a developer outside the United States. Can I participate?

>No. Unfortunately, due to some legal restrictions, this contest is not
available to developers outside the United States. Believe us, we'd love to
have you join in, but we're not allowed to. We'd like to have an international
challenge in the future.

I'll just have to be excited about the platform and contribute anyway with a
discourse production ready template (Redis + Postgres + Discourse).

~~~
cardmagic
I am so sorry, if this contest goes well I will try to do an international
contest next! Please do contribute anyhow, I can't wait to see your discourse
template!

~~~
griffinheart
Would it be possible to participate and donate any eventual prize to some us
based charity?

------
rkalla
from "Century Link Labs" \- didn't realize CL was that kind of company, very
cool to see.

~~~
klaruz
I think it comes from their AppFog acquisition.

------
nogox
Will it be easily outgrown by users as heroku? It is better than heroku by
giving the capability to compose your app from a vast docker image collection.
But I guess that's good until you reach some scale/complexity.

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joshuakarjala
Seems nice so far. But the UI seems so cluttered with all the CenturyLink
branding / blog roll etc.

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HeyLaughingBoy
Do you realize that Panamax is a registered trademark of www.panamax.com?

~~~
biggest_lou
Is it? As far as I can tell, only their logo is trademarked. I'd be surprised
if a general term like Panamax could be trademarked.

~~~
HeyLaughingBoy
I was originally thinking of the ship class and had never heard of Panamax the
power conditioner. However at the end of
[http://www.panamax.com/PDF/Datasheets/M5400EX_L550A.pdf](http://www.panamax.com/PDF/Datasheets/M5400EX_L550A.pdf)
it states that Panamax is their registered trademark.

------
pessimizer
Panamax, the hot new board game about the Panama Canal:
[http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/131287/panamax](http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/131287/panamax)

~~~
killion
Also the manufacturer of some great power conditioners:
[http://www.panamax.com](http://www.panamax.com)

I'm actually kind of sad that they will start loosing their Google Juice now.
They are a good company.

