Support using gadget.yaml volumes as a source for imagecraft.yaml volume definitions
Metadata
Current evaluation
Importing gadget.yaml volume layouts into imagecraft.yaml remains open under design discussion, with gadget/snapd consistency and import semantics unresolved.
Suggested action: keep open
Reason: The Triaged enhancement remains valid: current documentation still requires users to copy gadget volumes and manually remove unsupported fields. A maintainer welcomed broader review, but another raised a substantive consistency risk because Imagecraft cannot update a store gadget and imported layouts could diverge from what snapd uses.
Evaluated by: mr-cal-bot
Impact:
58
Quick Win:
5
Complexity:
84
Confidence:
92
Actionability:
55
Issue body
### Check existing issues
- [x] I've verified that this request isn't described by any existing issues.
### Request
### What I’d like to see
Allow `imagecraft.yaml` to reuse (or import) the `volumes` definition from the gadget snap’s `meta/gadget.yaml`, instead of requiring users to duplicate the same partition/volume layout in `imagecraft.yaml`.
### Proposed UX / configuration
A simple mechanism such as one of the following:
- A boolean flag:
- `volumes: from-gadget: true`
- An explicit source:
- `volumes: from-gadget: <path-to-gadget.yaml>` (optional override)
- Or a special volume entry:
- `volumes: gadget`
In all cases, the default behavior stays unchanged: if `imagecraft.yaml` defines volumes explicitly, that remains the source of truth.
### Expected behavior
- If enabled, Imagecraft should:
1. Locate the gadget snap used for the image build (from the model assertion and/or user-provided gadget override).
2. Read `meta/gadget.yaml` from the gadget snap.
3. Use the `volumes` section to drive disk layout creation (partition table type, partitions, filesystem types, labels, sizes/offsets, boot assets where applicable).
- `imagecraft.yaml` should still be able to override specific values (optional, if feasible), but at minimum the gadget should be usable as the canonical definition.
### Notes
- The `volumes` data in the gadget is already the authoritative source for the Ubuntu Core disk layout; duplicating it in `imagecraft.yaml` is error-prone.
- This is particularly useful for multi-arch and custom gadgets where the volume definition is the most stable, accurate layout description.
### The problem it solves
### Current pain
Today, building Ubuntu Core images with Imagecraft requires duplicating volume/partition layout information in `imagecraft.yaml`, even though the exact same information already exists in the gadget snap’s `meta/gadget.yaml` (`volumes` section).
This duplication:
- introduces drift (changes in gadget.yaml are easy to forget to mirror in imagecraft.yaml),
- creates avoidable build errors (wrong partition flags, filesystem type, ESP formatting, missing boot assets),
- makes maintenance harder for custom gadgets and multi-architecture builds.
Evaluation history
| Date | Model | Scores | Action | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| stealth/space-bunny-alpha |
Impact:
58
Quick Win:
5
Complexity:
84
Confidence:
92
Actionability:
55
|
keep open | Importing gadget.yaml volume layouts into imagecraft.yaml remains open under design discussion, with gadget/snapd consistency and import semantics unresolved. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b |
Impact:
70
Quick Win:
28
Complexity:
50
Confidence:
80
Actionability:
80
|
keep open | Enhancement to allow imagecraft.yaml to reuse volume definitions from gadget.yaml instead of duplicating partition layouts. | |
| qwen/qwen3.8-27b |
Impact:
40
Quick Win:
10
Staleness:
65
Complexity:
75
Confidence:
70
Support Request:
0
|
keep open | Enhancement to let imagecraft.yaml import volumes from the gadget snap's meta/gadget.yaml instead of duplicating the layout. Triaged and discussed; a maintainer noted snapd reads the gadget directly, so overrides risk a disconnect. No work planned this cycle. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b |
Staleness:
65
Complexity:
80
Confidence:
75
Support Request:
10
|
keep open | Enhancement request to let imagecraft reuse volume definitions from gadget.yaml, avoiding duplication. Currently under maintainer review but deferred due to architectural concerns regarding snapd integration. Last active ~183 days ago. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 |
Staleness:
55
Complexity:
80
Confidence:
60
Support Request:
0
|
keep open | Enhancement to allow imagecraft.yaml to reuse volume definitions from gadget.yaml, avoiding duplication. Currently under architectural discussion regarding snapd integration and store vs local gadget handling. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 |
Staleness:
60
Complexity:
80
Confidence:
75
Support Request:
0
|
keep open | Enhancement to allow imagecraft.yaml to reuse volume definitions from gadget.yaml, avoiding duplication. Currently triaged, under discussion for architectural feasibility and potential pitfalls. |
Update history
No update history recorded yet.
Related work
-
Related To:
imagecraft#304
(confidence 84%)
Multiple-volume support is also open, and the current model documents a single explicit volume; this may constrain imports of arbitrary gadget volume layouts.
Related issues
No related issues found above the similarity threshold.