snapcraft export-login doesn't provide meaningful error messages when an argument is wrong
Metadata
Current evaluation
snapcraft export-login returns a generic 'Authentication error: Failed to get macaroon' instead of a meaningful message when an argument (e.g. snap name) is wrong. Unlabelled, zero comments, no maintainer interaction for ~7 years.
Suggested action: needs triage
Reason: The issue has no labels, no comments, and no maintainer response in ~7 years, so it has never been triaged. The underlying problem (generic 'Authentication error: Failed to get macaroon' masking the real cause, e.g. an invalid snap name) is a legitimate UX/bug report, not a support question, but there is no evidence it was ever assessed or that the error path was improved since. A maintainer should confirm whether the store auth error handling now surfaces server-side detail before deciding to keep or close.
Impact:
30
Quick Win:
18.0
Staleness:
90
Complexity:
40
Confidence:
70
Support Request:
10
Issue body
Steps to reproduce:
1. Run
```
expiry_date='2020-09-10T00:00:00'
acls='package_push,package_release,package_access'
snap_name='firefox'
snapcraft export-login --channels=esr --snaps="snap_name" --acls="$acls" --expires="$esr_macaroon_file
```
(Note there's a bug in the last command, "snap_name" instead of "$snap_name".
2. Fill the right credentials.
Expected results: A meaningful error message like: "Server reported 'snap_name' is not a valid snap".
Actual results: Just this error message is provided: "Authentication error: Failed to get macaroon".
Context: I made this mistake after 2 successful macaroon exports. The lack of information lead me to think there was a bug around custom tracks. "ESR" was created in https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/firefox-please-create-the-track-esr/5006. I ended up filing a bug against the server: https://bugs.launchpad.net/firefox/+bug/1843275.
Kudos to Daniel Manrique who gave me a simple way to debug what's happening. Although, I think error messages should provide more info by default.
Evaluation history
| Date | Model | Scores | Action | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| qwen/qwen3.8-27b |
Impact:
30
Quick Win:
18.0
Staleness:
90
Complexity:
40
Confidence:
70
Support Request:
10
|
needs triage | snapcraft export-login returns a generic 'Authentication error: Failed to get macaroon' instead of a meaningful message when an argument (e.g. snap name) is wrong. Unlabelled, zero comments, no maintainer interaction for ~7 years. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b |
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
20
Confidence:
85
Support Request:
10
|
close stale | CLI command snapcraft export-login returns a generic authentication error instead of a clear message for invalid arguments. Issue has been inactive for over six years with no maintainer response. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b |
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
35
Confidence:
90
Support Request:
15
|
close stale | Report requesting improved error messages for snapcraft export-login when invalid arguments are passed. Currently shows a generic authentication error instead of clarifying the invalid snap name. No maintainer response in over 6 years. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 |
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
15
Confidence:
85
Support Request:
5
|
close stale | snapcraft export-login returns a generic authentication error instead of a specific validation message when an invalid snap name is passed. The issue has been inactive for nearly 7 years with no maintainer response. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 |
Staleness:
98
Complexity:
25
Confidence:
90
Support Request:
10
|
close stale | snapcraft export-login returns a generic authentication error when invalid arguments are passed instead of clear feedback. The report is open, unassigned, and has no comments, awaiting triage and implementation of improved error messaging. |
Update history
No update history recorded yet.
Related work
-
Related To:
snapcraft (launchpad)#2043513
(confidence 60%)
Same command (export-login), also about missing/unclear messaging (help text for login file); both are unlabelled and inactive, indicating the command's UX has not been revisited.
Related issues
| Issue | Project | State | Summary | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2043513 snapcraft export-login doesn't explain what the login file is | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | Help text for snapcraft export-login doesn't explain what the login-file is. Open for 1024 days with no maintainer response or comments. | |
| #1856502 Obscure error message from snapcraft release when not logged in correctly | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | snapcraft release prints an obscure 401 macaroon error when not logged in; user suggests a friendlier message pointing to 'snapcraft login'. No labels, no comments, ~6.5 years inactive. Same problem class tracked in craft-store#97 and LP 1834469. | |
| #1858023 export-login is too big for env variable | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | snapcraft export-login output (macaroon credentials) too large for Travis CI SNAP_TOKEN env variable. 6.7 years old, zero comments, no labels, no maintainer interaction. Travis CI for open source is defunct and snapcraft store integration has been rewritten since. | |
| #4226 snapcraft export-login ignores expires parameter | snapcraft | closed | Closed as stale. Maintainers clarified the short expiration is expected due to store-side macaroon refresh logic, not a snapcraft bug. No code changes were made. | |
| #1714916 snapcraft login should check namespace status | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | 2017 request for snapcraft login to check namespace status and show a useful error instead of 'Unexpected error when obtaining your account information.' No labels, no comments, no activity for ~9 years. | |
| #1834469 error messaging for invalid macaroon could be improved | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | Snapcraft shows a confusing 'missing a valid macaroon' error when the store macaroon expires; suggests guiding users to snapcraft login. 7 years old, no labels, no comments, no maintainer response. Related craft-store#97 tracks the same problem class. | |
| #1791879 snapcraft reports invalid credentials after successful login (new account) | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | Closed without resolution. The snapcraft credential and root macaroon error remains unfixed. Issue appears abandoned due to zero comments and no follow-up. | |
| #1930592 Handle macaroon-authorization-required error response | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | snapcraft whoami shows a generic 'Store Error: whoami failed.' instead of prompting re-authentication when credentials are missing/expired (401 macaroon-authorization-required). Open since 2021, zero comments, no maintainer activity or labels. |