> Except that Docker et al are already that compromised solution. No need to replicate.
I think you're right that Docker has embraced the "meet half-way" school of thought (maybe too much?). But that doesn't mean they have exclusivity over the approach.
Docker lacks many of the features that make Nix so powerful. On the other hand Docker is much more pleasant to use, for me at least.
If a tool came along that combined the simplicity of Docker with the power of Nix, I would probably stop using both, and just use that. I think Nix itself could be that tool... if only they fixed the issues I described above.
But when you need to rebuild your container image, how do you make sure it builds in the same way? Nix imho is perfect for building reproducible containers, which you can then run on a minimal install of an OS with a larger ecosystem (or just GKE/EKS) to find & fix crippling bugs before you run into them.
And for what it's worth, the #nixos community is one of the kindest, most helpful communities I've ever encountered. Stop by and ask your questions!