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Document how `stage-packages` differs from installing a package on the system

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Metadata

Project
charmcraft
Number
#1992
Type
issue
State
open
Author
lengau
Labels
—
Created
Updated
Closed
—

Current evaluation

Documentation task to explain how stage-packages differs from system package installation in charms and how to use operator libs instead. Blocked on stage-packages implementation (#1839, #1844), still open; no activity for over a year.

Suggested action: keep open

Reason: The issue is a maintainer-authored documentation task explicitly gated on #1839 and #1844, both of which remain open and blocked by architectural work (per #1990, where a maintainer confirmed stage-packages is blocked). The feature is still absent from charmcraft's parts code (no stage_packages in source; only rockcraft tutorial YAMLs and the snap build config reference it), so the doc task is still applicable rather than obsolete, and an internal Jira ticket (CRAFT-3676) shows it is tracked. It should stay open as a blocked, valid task.

Impact: 35 Quick Win: 24.5 Staleness: 65 Complexity: 30 Confidence: 78 Support Request: 0

Issue body

### What needs to get done Once staged packages are fully implemented (#1839, #1844), write documentation to explain how staging a package differs from installing it in the resulting system and how to use [operator libs](https://charmhub.io/operator-libs-linux/libraries/apt) to achieve this instead. ### Why it needs to get done Users who use other crafts are likely to expect `stage-packages` to work the same way in charmcraft. However, because of how fundamentally different charms are from snaps and rocks, they won't. See #1990 for an example.

Evaluation history

Date Model Scores Action Summary
qwen/qwen3.8-27b
Impact: 35
Quick Win: 24.5
Staleness: 65
Complexity: 30
Confidence: 78
Support Request: 0
keep open Documentation task to explain how stage-packages differs from system package installation in charms and how to use operator libs instead. Blocked on stage-packages implementation (#1839, #1844), still open; no activity for over a year.
qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b
Staleness: 75
Complexity: 15
Confidence: 85
Support Request: 5
needs triage Documentation task requesting clarification on how stage-packages differs from system installation in charmcraft. Currently unlabelled and inactive since an auto-bot message ~340 days ago.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 85
Complexity: 15
Confidence: 80
Support Request: 5
needs triage Documentation task explaining stage-packages differences from system installation and operator lib usage. Unlabelled, unassigned, and inactive for over a year.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 85
Complexity: 10
Confidence: 75
Support Request: 5
needs triage Documentation task to explain stage-packages differences from system installation and how to use operator libs instead. Unlabelled and awaiting maintainer assessment after over a year of inactivity.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 70
Complexity: 10
Confidence: 80
Support Request: 0
keep open Document differences between charmcraft stage-packages and system installation, plus operator lib alternatives. Awaiting related staged packages implementation, synced to Jira, and inactive for over 300 days.

Update history

No update history recorded yet.

Related work

  • Blocked By: canonical/charmcraft#1839 (confidence 85%)

    Issue body states the doc work happens 'Once staged packages are fully implemented (#1839, #1844)'; #1839 is still open and blocked by an external dependency.

  • Blocked By: canonical/charmcraft#1844 (confidence 85%)

    Named in the issue body as a prerequisite; still open, unlabelled, and inactive for over a year.

  • Related To: canonical/charmcraft#1990 (confidence 80%)

    Cited in the issue as an example of user confusion about stage-packages; still open as a feature tracking ticket.

Related issues

No related issues found above the similarity threshold.