> We can collapse not only a complete distribution but all the state for every application into a single file, alleviating the need for /var/ or /tmp/ or /home/ or any other filesystem. The program can store its own state in the same file it is running from, and it can do so transactionally.

On the one hand: I don't think I want that. Including static content with the binary makes sense, certainly. However, storing writable run-time data there feels messy; I prefer a read only binary which is handed a writable state directory (it is worth saying that I've spent a lot of time with nix and other immutable distros).

On the other hand: This is the coolest, most fun thing I've seen in a good while, and I absolutely want to see it taken 1000% further. Who cares about perfectly operationalized immutable deployments when the hacker spirit is in the air?

I'll bet you could use this to run with another thing APE does: fat binaries. If program text lives in a database, what's one more row? Just

  SELECT text FROM executable WHERE arch = $(uname -m)

Edit: actually on further consideration this feels perfect for smalltalk; you can put the VM and image in a single file