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Test must only pack if necessary

View original Github issue

Metadata

Project
craft-application
Number
#800
Type
issue
State
open
Author
cmatsuoka
Labels
Status: Triaged Type: Enhancement
Created
Updated
Closed
—

Current evaluation

Enhancement: make `snapcraft test` skip repacking the artifact when unnecessary, using packed-file state. Triaged; PR #1111 added conditional repacking (ST160 metadata mediator) and a maintainer is still discussing scope (e.g. a `--use-artifact` option) in recent comments.

Suggested action: keep open

Reason: Labelled Status: Triaged with active maintainer discussion 40 days ago (astrojuanlu questioning whether ST1111/ST160 allows a `--use-artifact` mechanism), and PR #1111 (merged, 'feat: add conditional repacking support', fixes #1097) is explicitly cited as making progress. The changelog confirms the metadata mediator API landed in 7.1.0, but the test command's behavior and the requested CLI option remain unresolved, so it should stay open.

Impact: 50 Quick Win: 22.5 Staleness: 15 Complexity: 55 Confidence: 75 Support Request: 10

Issue body

### Bug Description Running the test command shouldn't repack the artifact unless it's necessary. Keep a packed file state and use the state service to verify if the file needs to be repacked. ### To Reproduce Run `snapcraft test` on a project that uses craft testing and see the artifact being packed even if it's not necessary to repack. ### part yaml ```shell N/A ``` ### Relevant log output ```shell N/A ```

Evaluation history

Date Model Scores Action Summary
qwen/qwen3.8-27b
Impact: 50
Quick Win: 22.5
Staleness: 15
Complexity: 55
Confidence: 75
Support Request: 10
keep open Enhancement: make `snapcraft test` skip repacking the artifact when unnecessary, using packed-file state. Triaged; PR #1111 added conditional repacking (ST160 metadata mediator) and a maintainer is still discussing scope (e.g. a `--use-artifact` option) in recent comments.
qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b
Staleness: 15
Complexity: 45
Confidence: 90
Support Request: 10
keep open Enhancement to prevent unnecessary artifact repacking during snapcraft test by tracking file state. Currently under discussion regarding DX benefits and potential CLI parameters, with PR 1111 noted as making progress.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 95
Complexity: 20
Confidence: 85
Support Request: 10
close stale Requests optimizing snapcraft test to only repack artifacts when necessary using a state service. Labeled triaged but has been completely inactive for over a year with no maintainer follow-up or implementation progress.
qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6
Staleness: 85
Complexity: 30
Confidence: 75
Support Request: 10
close stale snapcraft test repacks artifacts even when unchanged. Implement state tracking to skip repacking if already packed. Currently triaged and awaiting implementation after 347 days of inactivity.

Update history

Date Change
updated

Related work

  • Likely Fixed By: canonical/craft-application#1111 (confidence 70%)

    Merged PR 'feat: add conditional repacking support' adds the ST160 metadata mediator API to only repack when lifecycle/metadata changed; comment says it 'makes progress towards this' but the test-command specifics are still under discussion.

  • Related To: canonical/craft-application#1097 (confidence 60%)

    PR #1111 fixes #1097 ('Implement metadata mediator'), the underlying ST160 post-prime state management this enhancement depends on.

Related issues

Issue Project State Summary Similarity
#6325 Skip repacking if artifact contents are unchanged snapcraft open Triaged feature request to implement ST160 conditional repacking API; feature appears implemented in craft-application and snapcraft but issue remains open.
75%