← Back to issue list

Document parallel build count environment variables

View original Github issue

Metadata

Project
craft-application
Number
#540
Type
issue
State
open
Author
mr-cal
Labels
Type: Enhancement Type: Documentation
Created
Updated
Closed

Current evaluation

Docs gap: CRAFT_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT and CRAFT_MAX_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT (and app-prefixed variants) are implemented in craft_application/util/system.py but not documented. Labeled enhancement/docs by a maintainer, open 679 days, no comments, still unaddressed.

Suggested action: keep open

Reason: The issue is triaged (labeled Type: Enhancement and Type: Documentation, filed by maintainer mr-cal) and the gap is still real: get_parallel_build_count() in craft_application/util/system.py still reads both variables (plus app-prefixed variants), the 5.2.1 changelog notes they are forwarded to managed instances, yet no docs/reference page documents them. It is a small, valid documentation task that should remain open rather than be closed as stale.

Impact: 30 Quick Win: 25.5 Staleness: 55 Complexity: 15 Confidence: 80 Support Request: 5

Issue body

### What needs to get done Define and explain `[app.name]CRAFT_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT` and `[app.name]CRAFT_MAX_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT` in the documentation. ### Why it needs to get done It is not clear how to use these or why both variables exist. Related: - https://github.com/canonical/craft-parts/issues/772 - https://github.com/snapcore/snapcraft/issues/4537

Evaluation history

Date Model Scores Action Summary
qwen/qwen3.8-27b
Impact: 30
Quick Win: 25.5
Staleness: 55
Complexity: 15
Confidence: 80
Support Request: 5
keep open Docs gap: CRAFT_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT and CRAFT_MAX_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT (and app-prefixed variants) are implemented in craft_application/util/system.py but not documented. Labeled enhancement/docs by a maintainer, open 679 days, no comments, still unaddressed.
qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b
Staleness: 90
Complexity: 15
Confidence: 75
Support Request: 10
needs triage Request to document CRAFT_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT and CRAFT_MAX_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT environment variables. Unaddressed enhancement for over 17 months with no maintainer comments or triage.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 85
Complexity: 15
Confidence: 80
Support Request: 10
needs triage Enhancement to document CRAFT_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT and CRAFT_MAX_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT environment variables. Currently unaddressed with no maintainer comments or activity for over a year.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 75
Complexity: 10
Confidence: 85
Support Request: 0
keep open Document the CRAFT_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT and CRAFT_MAX_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT environment variables to clarify their usage and distinct purposes. Currently open, unassigned, and inactive for over eight months with no comments.

Update history

No update history recorded yet.

Related work

  • Related To: canonical/craft-parts#772 (confidence 80%)

    Explicitly cross-referenced in the issue; still open and covers documenting parallel build support in craft-parts (its step_execution_environment.rst documents CRAFT_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT but not the MAX variant).

  • Related To: canonical/craft-parts#631 (confidence 60%)

    Closed request to have craft-parts read CRAFT_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT; resolved by setting the count upstream in craft-application, which is the behavior this issue asks to document.

Related issues

Issue Project State Summary Similarity
#4537 Document and use the correct parallel build count envvars snapcraft closed Closed without implementation. Documentation and environment variable logic updates were deferred and are now tracked in craft-application issue 540. The requested code changes remain unaddressed.
77%
#631 Read `CRAFT_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT` craft-parts closed Closed without code changes. The maintainer adjusted how the build count is configured externally, making the CRAFT_PARALLEL_BUILD_COUNT environment variable read unnecessary. The request was superseded by upstream updates.
73%