Partial progress on Ubuntu/Mac dependency issues

[Cameron Shorter]

Hey folks,

I've been retreading/addressing the challenges that @Rafferty Parker has been documenting, and have even got an Ubuntu version of the scripts running over the weekend (using a bunch of hacks).

But have tripped up trying to reproduce my steps in updated scripts. (Branch ubuntu-lts)

My Gemini AI coach is strongly recommending we move to containers, and I'm inclined to agree, as I think it will set us up to be more sustainable long term.

The problem seems to be:

* Our python venv environment doesn't extend to non-python applications like grass and gdal.

* So we end up with hard coded directories and dependency mismatches.

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Cameron Shorter

Business Analyst / Engineer / Technical Writer

[Rafferty Parker]

Provided we don't also face issues with containerising some of the non-python applications I think containers make a lot of sense.

The only other reason I can think of to avoid them would be that it excludes those who are unfamiliar with their use. But the basics is all pretty straight-forward, and if anyone that really wanted to dig their heels in and not learn it can just use the source code anyway and have their own uncontainerised dependency/environment journey.