Multipass/VMs by default discourages newcomers
Metadata
Current evaluation
Snapcraft's default use of Multipass for builds frustrates newcomers (nested-VM failures on macOS/Windows, slow builds from silent LXD-to-Multipass switch); proposes warnings, KVM detection, docs, and release/debug defaults. Open 6.6 years, no labels, no comments, no maintainer response.
Suggested action: needs triage
Reason: The issue has zero comments, no labels, and no maintainer interaction in ~6.6 years, so it has never been triaged. It is not safe to close as stale: the underlying onboarding pain (default Multipass, nested virtualization, build-environment choice) is still a live area of snapcraft, and the reporter's concrete suggestions (prominent notice, KVM detection, LXD fallback, docs, release/debug defaults) remain actionable. A maintainer should assess which parts are already addressed (e.g. SNAPCRAFT_BUILD_ENVIRONMENT, --use-lxd) and which warrant work.
Issue body
Evaluation history
| Date | Model | Scores | Action | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| qwen/qwen3.8-27b |
Impact:
55
Quick Win:
16.5
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
70
Confidence:
55
Support Request:
25
|
needs triage | Snapcraft's default use of Multipass for builds frustrates newcomers (nested-VM failures on macOS/Windows, slow builds from silent LXD-to-Multipass switch); proposes warnings, KVM detection, docs, and release/debug defaults. Open 6.6 years, no labels, no comments, no maintainer response. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b |
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
30
Confidence:
80
Support Request:
10
|
needs triage | External contributor reports Snapcraft's default Multipass/VM usage creates friction for newcomers, especially in nested virtualization setups. Suggests better warnings, availability checks, and documentation. Untriaged and inactive for over six years. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b |
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
45
Confidence:
85
Support Request:
20
|
needs triage | Issue reports that Snapcraft's default use of Multipass/VMs creates friction for newcomers, especially in nested VM environments. Suggests better warnings, fallbacks, and docs. Currently untriaged with no maintainer response after ~6.5 years. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 |
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
55
Confidence:
90
Support Request:
20
|
close stale | Unaddressed feedback from over six years ago regarding Snapcraft's default Multipass usage discouraging newcomers. Suggests UX warnings, KVM checks, fallbacks, and documentation updates. No maintainer response or labels. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 |
Staleness:
95
Complexity:
65
Confidence:
85
Support Request:
20
|
close stale | Reports Snapcraft's default Multipass/VM usage discourages newcomers due to nested virtualization issues and slow builds. Suggests UX improvements and fallbacks. Unlabeled, no maintainer response, inactive for over 6 years. |
Update history
No update history recorded yet.
Related issues
| Issue | Project | State | Summary | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1806083 snapcraft fails to locate multipass (inside a multipass session) | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | snapcraft 3.0.1 fails to detect an installed multipass when run inside a multipass VM, prompting to install and dropping the user into a shell. No maintainer activity for ~7 years; affected version is long obsolete. | |
| #1791821 multipass should use snapcraft defined environments | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | Closed without discussion or resolution, indicating the feature request was likely abandoned or superseded. The proposal to align multipass with snapcraft-defined build images received no further action. |