snapcraft list-keys doesn't show the non-registered key when no key is registered
Metadata
Current evaluation
list-keys (snapcraft 3.8) fails to show a locally created key when no key is registered yet, printing 'No keys have been registered' instead. Unlabelled, zero comments, no activity for ~6.6 years; the command was later removed and replaced by snapcraft keys.
Suggested action: close stale
Reason: The issue is 2427 days old with zero comments, no labels, and no maintainer interaction, and it targets snapcraft 3.8. Related Launchpad bug #1720207's summary notes the list-keys command has since been removed and replaced by 'snapcraft keys', so the reported behavior is no longer reproducible in the current version — inactivity plus obsolescence, not age alone.
Impact:
15
Quick Win:
12.0
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
20
Confidence:
70
Support Request:
10
Issue body
Here are the reproduction steps:
$ snapcraft create-key test
We're supposed to get following result
$ snapcraft list-keys
Name SHA3-384 fingerprint
- test <fingerprint> (not registered)
But, list-keys returns no keys
$ snapcraft list-keys
No keys have been registered. See 'snapcraft register-key --help' to register a key.
Need to register the first key.
$ snapcraft register-key test
$ snapcraft list-keys
Name SHA3-384 fingerprint
* test <fingerprint>
After the first key is registered, list-keys can show the non-registered key.
$ snapcraft create-key serial
$ snapcraft list-keys
Name SHA3-384 fingerprint
* test <fingerprint>
- serial <fingerprint> (not registered)
---
$ snap list
Name Version Rev Tracking Publisher Notes
snapcraft 3.8 3440 stable canonical* classic
Evaluation history
| Date | Model | Scores | Action | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| qwen/qwen3.8-27b |
Impact:
15
Quick Win:
12.0
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
20
Confidence:
70
Support Request:
10
|
close stale | list-keys (snapcraft 3.8) fails to show a locally created key when no key is registered yet, printing 'No keys have been registered' instead. Unlabelled, zero comments, no activity for ~6.6 years; the command was later removed and replaced by snapcraft keys. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b |
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
25
Confidence:
90
Support Request:
5
|
close stale | snapcraft list-keys fails to display unregistered keys until a key is registered. Reported for v3.8 with no maintainer response in over 6 years. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b |
Staleness:
98
Complexity:
20
Confidence:
80
Support Request:
5
|
close stale | Bug where snapcraft list-keys fails to display newly created keys until at least one key is registered. Issue is over six years old with no maintainer interaction. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 |
Staleness:
98
Complexity:
20
Confidence:
75
Support Request:
5
|
close stale | Bug where snapcraft list-keys fails to display locally created but unregistered keys until a key is registered. Untriaged, inactive for over 6 years. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 |
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
15
Confidence:
85
Support Request:
5
|
close stale | Bug where snapcraft list-keys fails to display locally created keys until one is registered. Reported over six years ago with zero maintainer response or activity. |
Update history
No update history recorded yet.
Related work
-
Related To:
snapcraft (launchpad)#1720207
(confidence 70%)
Same command, same symptom class (list-keys hides keys); its summary states list-keys was removed and replaced by 'keys', supporting that this issue is obsolete.
-
Related To:
snapcraft (launchpad)#1996618
(confidence 60%)
Also reports list-keys failing to display keys when no keys are pre-registered (External Key Manager variant), pointing to the same legacy store code.
-
Related To:
snapcraft (launchpad)#1736864
(confidence 55%)
Sibling list-keys display bug (empty table instead of message), fixed in PR #1784; different symptom but same legacy command.
Related issues
| Issue | Project | State | Summary | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1720207 snapcraft list-keys returns no keys, but the user has keys | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | Maintainer elopio reported snapcraft list-keys showing an empty table despite the user having a registered key, while create-key says a 'default' key exists. Zero comments, no activity for ~6.4 years; the list-keys command has since been removed and replaced by keys. | |
| #1622037 snapcraft list-keys prints no message when there are no keys | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | snapcraft list-keys prints only an empty table header when no keys are registered; a friendly message (and possibly tips on adding keys) is requested. Unlabelled, zero comments, no activity for ~10 years; a similar Launchpad bug remains open. | |
| #1996618 Snapcraft does not list keys reported from snapd via External Key Manager | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | snapcraft list-keys fails to show keys from External Key Manager when no keys are registered. Unlabelled, 0 comments, inactive for ~3.2 years. | |
| #1720210 snapcraft list-keys with no keys returns an empty table | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | Abandoned. Closed without implementation, leaving snapcraft list-keys to display an empty table instead of a helpful message when no keys are registered. | |
| #1637625 snapcraft create-key doesn't require login, but snapcraft list-keys does | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | CLI inconsistency: create-key works without login but list-keys fails with credential errors. Issue is 9.8 years old with zero comments. The list-keys command has since been removed and replaced by the keys command, which still requires login. | |
| #1816524 snapcraft register-key fails | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | snapcraft 2.43.1 register-key fails with GPG 'Operation cancelled' during snap export-key; 7.5 years old, no labels, zero comments, no maintainer activity; affected 2.x version is long deprecated. | |
| #1736864 snapcraft list-keys with no snap keys returns an empty table | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | Fixed via PR #1784. The command now displays a helpful message instead of an empty table when no local keys are registered, resolving the reported UX issue. | |
| #1784 cli: show helpful message for 'snapcraft list-keys' with no keys | snapcraft | merged | Merged fix replacing the empty table output of snapcraft list-keys with a helpful message directing users to register-key --help. Added a unit test mocking an empty key list. Approved and merged after reviewer guidance on test implementation. |