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Improve error message for provider not installed.

View original Github issue

Metadata

Project
charmcraft
Number
#1512
Type
issue
State
open
Author
PietroPasotti
Labels
—
Created
Updated
Closed
—

Current evaluation

Improve the 'Provider is required but not installed' error message shown by charmcraft pack before lxd init, to clarify what is missing and what answering y does. Maintainers acknowledged in 2024-02 and noted prerequisite craft-providers work was complete, but no fix has landed.

Suggested action: keep open

Reason: Maintainers mr-cal and dstathis engaged in Feb 2024, confirming the issue is valid and noting the prerequisite craft-providers work (PR #366) was complete, making it a quick fix. However, no fix has landed in ~2 years and the original message still appears in docs, so it remains a valid but stale, low-priority UX improvement rather than something to close.

Impact: 30 Quick Win: 19.5 Staleness: 70 Complexity: 35 Confidence: 60 Support Request: 10

Issue body

### What needs to get done ATM running `pack` before having done `lxd init` gives: ``` $ charmcraft pack Provider is required but not installed. Do you wish to install provider and configure it with the defaults? [y/N]: ``` It would be more helpful if the error message stated more clearly what needs doing and what entering `y` will in fact do. How about: ``` $ charmcraft pack lxd is present but not initialized. Did you forget to run `lxd init`? Do you wish to initialize lxd with its default profile? [y/N]: ``` ### Why it needs to get done error message as it stands is not informative

Evaluation history

Date Model Scores Action Summary
qwen/qwen3.8-27b
Impact: 30
Quick Win: 19.5
Staleness: 70
Complexity: 35
Confidence: 60
Support Request: 10
keep open Improve the 'Provider is required but not installed' error message shown by charmcraft pack before lxd init, to clarify what is missing and what answering y does. Maintainers acknowledged in 2024-02 and noted prerequisite craft-providers work was complete, but no fix has landed.
qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b
Staleness: 85
Complexity: 15
Confidence: 85
Support Request: 10
keep open Suggests improving an unhelpful error message when a container provider is missing or uninitialized. Maintainers acknowledge it as a known TODO and note prerequisite work is complete, but implementation is pending.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 80
Complexity: 10
Confidence: 75
Support Request: 5
keep open Improvement request to clarify the error message shown when charmcraft pack runs without LXD initialized. Maintainers acknowledge it as a known TODO and quick fix, but it has seen no implementation activity in over a year.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 80
Complexity: 20
Confidence: 85
Support Request: 0
keep open Improves the unhelpful 'Provider is required but not installed' error message in charmcraft pack to clarify required actions. Maintainers acknowledge a TODO exists and prerequisite work is complete, but the issue remains open with no recent updates.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 85
Complexity: 15
Confidence: 75
Support Request: 0
close stale Clarify the vague container provider error when LXD is missing or uninitialized during charmcraft pack. Prerequisite work in craft-providers is complete. Ready for implementation to distinguish states and improve user guidance.

Update history

No update history recorded yet.

Related work

  • Related To: canonical/craft-providers#366 (confidence 70%)

    Referenced by mr-cal as the prerequisite craft-providers work now complete, enabling the improved message.

  • Related To: canonical/craft-providers#161 (confidence 40%)

    Commit 'lxd: improve error messages (#161)' in craft-providers may have partially addressed LXD error messaging, though not confirmed to cover this exact case.

Related issues

Issue Project State Summary Similarity
#1098 Correctly capture Craft Providers' LXDError charmcraft closed Craft Providers' LXDError handling was corrected. The issue is closed and resolved in charmcraft 3.
71%