Few months ago I’ve described why Windows is awesome for software development now. However there were still a few major flaws and most of them were related to Docker for Windows:

1. (NOTE: this issue is not relevant as of May 2019) Native Windows Docker is quite unstable, I had to reset its settings to default or even reinstall Docker completely every week or two.
2. Native Windows Docker uses Hyper-V, which makes impossible using both Docker and VMWare/Virtualbox at the same time. Also it does not work on Windows Home edition.

Today we’ll go through solutions for these issues.

Docker Toolbox

Before native…

Plagiarism is what surprises most westerners visiting China. Leaving legal issues aside, the cultural aspect of plagiarism, or let’s say “direct inspiration” is quite relaxed here. For many years it is totally fine in China to find a smartphone, which looks almost the same as iPhone, but has proprietary OS inside (and even TV sometimes)… or a car that looks exactly like Volkswagen Passat, but have local manufacturer’s plaque on it.

The city of Tianjin went even further — it has districts that look like were built in late 19th century London and Amsterdam or early 20th century New York…

Have you ever considered Microsoft Windows as a desirable OS for software development? What if I told you recently it became great for developer’s needs?

History lesson

Most software engineers I know either use Mac or Linux. Sure there are some exceptions (especially in fields like game development or with technologies like .NET), but the trend is obvious — most people hate Windows for software development.

And I was exactly like that majority. Back in 2008 I switched from Windows to Linux and later that year switched to Mac without any regret. Developing server applications (meant to run on Linux in production)…

Unfortunately it is (or was) not that easy… You had few main options, each of which is flawed:

1. Set up local Ethereum cluster for development. Probably the most straightforward solution, but requires some initial set up and forces you to mine Ether on your local cluster, which is very CPU-intensive task, so forget about development on your battery-charged laptop.
2. Launch local node connected to Rinkeby Testnet. Another valid solution. Eliminates mining, but requires you to get Ether via Faucet. …

There is a city in eastern China, where slum-like neighborhoods stand just across of financial district’s skyscrapers, where chaotic markets and brothels neighbor luxurious estates and shopping malls. This city is Tianjin.

Cultural and technological development of most places in the world is more or less synchronous. For example, American coastal states or Northern Europe are culturally sophisticated and feel high-tech too. Alternatively you could explore Equatorial Africa and find it lacking both culturally and technologically.

However it is more interesting and mind-shifting to explore places, where cultural and technological development are not in sync by any means. For example, there are many towns in Central and Western Europe which were built in medieval times and still look very medieval, while having modern work ethics, modern healthcare and modern living standards all…

Are you the one who loves film noir aesthetics? Urban environment, rain-soaked streets, flickering street lamps, neon signs and traffic lights. Seedy taverns, diners, and run-down buildings, underground brothels and casinos. Overall atmosphere of alienation and hopelessness. Scenes appearing dark, as if lit for night, with many dark shadows…

Have you heard of Guangdong (also called Canton)? It is one of most developed provinces of mainland China with GDP similar to Mexico. I bet you read these lines on a device fully or partially manufactured in Guandong.

Guangzhou, Guandong’s capital has a history of over 2200 years and was a major terminus of the maritime Silk Road and continues to serve as a major port and transportation hub today.