`charmcraft init`: issues with --profile docs, default profile, and default charm.py links
Metadata
Current evaluation
PR #1158 (commit 5b50d9e6) documented init profiles and replaced the outdated charm.py link; the default Kubernetes profile was left unchanged.
Resolution: closed resolved
Reason: Merged PR #1158, commit 5b50d9e6, resolved the profile-help and stale-link reports by describing available profiles and linking to official charm documentation. The proposed change to the default Kubernetes profile was not adopted.
Evaluated by: mr-cal-bot
No scores available.
Issue body
### Bug Description
I wanted to initialize a machine charm. I looked up the `charmcraft init` help: https://juju.is/docs/sdk/charmcraft-init . (Issue 1) It mentioned the `--profile` option but not what arguments it could take (other than to say it defaults to `simple`, which was also not defined). I gave up and just ran the command without selecting a profile. Then I noticed (Issue 2) the charm it had initialized by default was a Kubernetes charm. Also, (issue 3) the comment at the top of the `charm.py` file linked to quick-start guide (https://discourse.charmhub.io/t/4208) that is not published in the docs and which doesn't really make much sense (e.g., it contains instructions on how to install `charmcraft` and how to run `charmcraft init` but, if you've come to this page from the charm.py produced by `charmcraft init`, then you already know how to do all that).
I think we should document all the possible arguments for `--profile`, not apply any default to `charmcraft init` (prompt the user to choose), and link only to official docs.
### To Reproduce
Issue 1: Run `charmcraft init --help` or visit https://juju.is/docs/sdk/charmcraft-init .
Issue 2: Run `charmcraft init`.
Issue 3: Inspect the contents of the `charm.py` file generated by `charmcraft init`.
### Environment
Not applicable.
### charmcraft.yaml
```shell
Not relevant.
```
### Relevant log output
```shell
Not relevant.
```
Evaluation history
| Date | Model | Scores | Action | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| stealth/space-bunny-alpha | — | closed resolved | PR #1158 (commit 5b50d9e6) documented init profiles and replaced the outdated charm.py link; the default Kubernetes profile was left unchanged. | |
| stealth/space-bunny-alpha | — | closed resolved | Merged PR #1158 (commit 5b50d9e6) documented init profiles and replaced the outdated charm.py link. The default Kubernetes profile was left unchanged. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 | — | — | The outdated charm.py link was updated to official documentation via PR #1158, closing the issue. Profile documentation improvements were acknowledged but not implemented. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b | — | — | The outdated charm.py link was updated to official documentation via merged PR #1158. Requests for detailed --profile documentation and interactive prompting were not addressed. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b | — | — | The outdated charm.py link was updated to official documentation via PR #1158. Remaining issues regarding --profile documentation and default profile prompting were not addressed before closure. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 | — | — | Partially resolved via PR #1158, which updated the charm.py link to official documentation. Requests to document --profile options and remove the default profile were abandoned. |
Update history
No update history recorded yet.
Related work
-
Likely Fixed By:
canonical/charmcraft#1158
(confidence 100%)
Merged as commit 5b50d9e6, adding init profile descriptions and updating the generated charm.py URL.
Related issues
| Issue | Project | State | Summary | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #966 `charmcraft init --help` doesn't list the available profiles | charmcraft | closed | Fixed by merged PR #2311 (commit c24c0f47): charmcraft init help now lists Kubernetes, machine, and supported 12-factor profiles. | |
| #1383 Profile `simple` in `charmcraft init` has an unclear name | charmcraft | closed | Charmcraft 4 removed the unclear simple init profile and made kubernetes the default in PR #2295 (commit fc17daa7). | |
| #328 charmcraft init produces error charm for machine charms | charmcraft | closed | Machine charms gained a dedicated charmcraft init profile, resolving Kubernetes-only initialization; the change was merged in PR #868 (commit 2ed9033c). | |
| #1158 command: add profiles descriptions and update URL (#1156) | charmcraft | merged | Merged charmcraft#1156 via commits 15fba942 and 5b50d9e6, adding init profile descriptions and correcting the associated URL. | |
| #859 Added a kubernetes profile to init command (CRAFT-1318). | charmcraft | merged | Merged in canonical/charmcraft#859 (451c399a), adding the Kubernetes init profile and fixing the simple template for CRAFT-1318. | |
| #762 Dynamically import charmcraft init template | charmcraft | closed | Closed in favor of broader charmcraft init profile work, notably #568; live template-repository fetching was left for future discussion. Profile support later landed through PRs #854, #859 and #868. | |
| #1149 command: charmcraft init to use charmcraft.yaml only | charmcraft | merged | Merged in ca4df024: charmcraft init now generates a unified charmcraft.yaml containing metadata, actions, and config, with profile descriptions and an updated URL. |