Zwik is a powerful solution that allows you to create reproducible Development Environments to build, test, and deploy software. It ensures that you and your team are using the same tools and versions, promoting consistency and collaboration. Even your CI/CD pipeline will utilize the exact set of tools, streamlining your software development process. Zwik is compatible with Windows, Linux, and MacOS, making it accessible to developers on various platforms. With Zwik, you can effortlessly create environments by running a single shell script, eliminating the need for pre-installed dependencies.
To help decide if Zwik is suited for your needs, here is how it compares to other tools.
Be warned that we don't regularly check for feature changes in other tools, so this list may be outdated. If you find anything that needs to be updated in the table below, please let us know.
| Feature | Zwik | SCCM | Chocolatey | APT | Docker | Anaconda | PIP | Ansible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating systems | ||||||||
| Windows | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Linux | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| MacOS | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Version management | ||||||||
| Automatic versions synchronization between team members | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Developer is in control to select the needed packages | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Support for CI/CD pipelines | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Package versions available for the lifetime of a product | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Multiple versions on same system | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Installation | ||||||||
| No manual installation needed | ✅ | ✅ | ❔ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Peripherals access (USB/Display/etc.) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Networking/proxies | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❔ |
| Contribution | ||||||||
| Developers can contribute new packages | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | - | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Open Source software | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Supported software types | ||||||||
| Compilers | ✅ | ✅ | ❔ | ✅ | - | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Python libraries | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | - | ✅ | ✅ | ❔ |
| Ruby libraries | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | - | ✅ | ❌ | ❔ |
| Graphical applications | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| System drivers | ❌ | ❔ | ❔ | ✅ | ❔ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Legenda:
We do our best to keep this table correct and up-to-date, but please let us know if we missed anything.
In 2017 it started with a simple script in the repository of an Embedded Firmware product to automate the Conda environment creation. Soon after, the script was rewritten to automatically install all necessary components. Additionally, it was made reusable for other repositories within the same department.
As more and more repositories started utilizing the script, it became apparent that its usage was limited to just one department. This led to the introduction of RB-Conda in 2020, which offered the same solution but was accessible to all Bosch employees. This was made possible by ensuring that all provided packages, including the client itself, were released under either a third-party (Open Source) license or the BIOS license (for internal tools). An added benefit of this change was that multiple Bosch internal tools were re-released under the BIOS license, allowing for contributions from others.
Meanwhile, users began utilizing Bosch computers that were not connected to the Bosch Corporate Network, known as Managed Internet Clients. In order to make the solution accessible on these machines, it had to be made internet-facing. To avoid trademark issues with the name "Conda", among other reasons, RB-Conda was renamed to Zwik. This change allowed Zwik to be used on any Bosch system, as well as external platforms like GitHub Actions.
To further expand the user base of Zwik, efforts are underway to transform the Zwik Client into a fully open-source project. With these changes, anyone will be able to enjoy the benefits that Zwik provides. The Bosch-specific tools will remain exclusively available to Bosch users and we also guarantee to keep the packages available throughout the lifespan of the product.