Do not run apt update in a compulsive way
Metadata
Current evaluation
Debian builds still refresh apt metadata implicitly when requested packages are missing, which can fail managed environments despite pre-updated images; the issue remains open.
Suggested action: keep open
Reason: The executor still invokes package installation with the default refresh_package_cache=True, and the Debian implementation calls refresh_packages_list when a requested package is not installed, leaving the reported implicit apt-get update path active. Commit 425a84f1 and PR #752 only skip refreshes for non-superusers; despite missing labels and only an autogenerated Jira comment, this maintainer-authored defect remains valid and open.
Evaluated by: mr-cal-bot
Issue body
Evaluation history
| Date | Model | Scores | Action | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| stealth/space-bunny-alpha |
Impact:
52
Quick Win:
17
Complexity:
55
Confidence:
84
Actionability:
72
|
keep open | Debian builds still refresh apt metadata implicitly when requested packages are missing, which can fail managed environments despite pre-updated images; the issue remains open. | |
| qwen/qwen3.8-27b |
Impact:
45
Quick Win:
12
Complexity:
50
Confidence:
75
Actionability:
55
|
keep open | Maintainer report that craft-parts runs apt update unconditionally at lifecycle start, causing hard failures in managed mode where the environment is already updated. Code still refreshes package lists in several paths; no fix found. Open, unlabelled, no maintainer response. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b |
Impact:
30
Quick Win:
19
Complexity:
20
Confidence:
90
Actionability:
80
|
close resolved | Issue requesting that apt update not run compulsively in managed/host mode. Fixed by PR #752 which now only runs apt update as superuser. | |
| qwen/qwen3.8-27b |
Impact:
45
Quick Win:
20
Staleness:
70
Complexity:
55
Confidence:
55
Support Request:
10
|
needs triage | craft-parts runs apt update compulsively during lifecycle, which fails in managed mode and is unnecessary in host mode. Reported 1050 days ago; code has since evolved (superuser guard, lru_cache, conditional refresh) but no maintainer has responded or labelled it. | |
| qwen/qwen3.8-27b |
Impact:
40
Quick Win:
22
Staleness:
75
Complexity:
45
Confidence:
70
Support Request:
10
|
needs triage | Maintainer-reported design concern that apt update runs unconditionally during builds. Code has since evolved to make refresh conditional (only when install required, superuser-only, LRU-cached), but issue remains open with no triage or maintainer response in 17+ months. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b |
Staleness:
90
Complexity:
25
Confidence:
85
Support Request:
10
|
close stale | Unnecessary apt update execution causing failures in managed and host modes. Open for nearly 3 years with no maintainer response or progress. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 |
Staleness:
92
Complexity:
40
Confidence:
75
Support Request:
10
|
close stale | Unnecessary forced apt update during lifecycle initialization causes failures. Reported by a maintainer, lacks labels, and has seen no activity or maintainer response in over a year. |
Update history
No update history recorded yet.
Related work
-
Related To:
canonical/craft-parts#752
(confidence 90%)
Merged commit 425a84f1 makes apt update conditional on superuser, but does not remove the default cache refresh for root or establish a managed-versus-host policy.
Related issues
No related issues found above the similarity threshold.