Maybe this is the right thread to ask:

I vaguely remember a file archive format similar to JAR/WAR (for Java) or ASAN (for Electron) which was designed for bundling software with its dependencies and static resources. It is not a container because it's just files with no specification for its runtime. Unlike JAR, it is language agnostic. These bundles could be compiled and compressed on your local machine then scp'd to a server that knows how to execute this bundle. If I recall correctly, it was some open source project from a big company.

I've spent hours trying to find it again and am wondering if I might be remembering something from a dream.