snapcraft cleanbuild --debug should provide guidance on build failure
Metadata
Current evaluation
Superseded by Snapcraft 3.x base-based build environments, which replaced the legacy cleanbuild --debug container workflow.
Resolution: closed superseded
Reason: Maintainer Sergiusens closed the issue as superseded by build environments in 3.x using bases. The requested legacy-container guidance was therefore not implemented.
Evaluated by: mr-cal-bot
No scores available.
Issue body
If I snapcraft cleanbuild --debug and the build fails, I'm dumped into a shell.
I can then cd into build_*, fix up my snap, and run snapcraft again. This will produce a working snap.
If I now ctrl-D out of the shell, the container will be destroyed along with my working snap.
I think snapcraft cleanbuild --debug on failure should display a message along these lines just before the shell prompt:
The snapcraft build failed. Dropping you into a shell within the container.
You can modify files in build_yourapp/ and re-run snapcraft. Note that exiting this shell will terminate the container and abandon your changes. You can copy files out using <instructions>.
Evaluation history
| Date | Model | Scores | Action | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| stealth/space-bunny-alpha | — | closed superseded | Superseded by Snapcraft 3.x base-based build environments, which replaced the legacy cleanbuild --debug container workflow. | |
| stealth/space-bunny-alpha | — | closed superseded | Superseded by Snapcraft 3.x base-based build environments; the legacy cleanbuild --debug container workflow was replaced before the proposed guidance was implemented. | |
| stealth/space-bunny-alpha | — | closed superseded | Superseded by Snapcraft 3.x base-based build environments, which replaced legacy cleanbuild --debug containers; the requested guidance was not implemented. | |
| stealth/space-bunny-alpha | — | closed superseded | Superseded in Snapcraft 3.x when base-based build environments replaced legacy cleanbuild --debug containers; the requested warning was not implemented. | |
| stealth/space-bunny-alpha | — | closed stale | Request to warn users that exiting cleanbuild --debug destroys container changes was closed without implementation; no resolving PR or commit was recorded. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b | — | — | Closed without implementation. The request to add a build failure warning to snapcraft cleanbuild --debug was abandoned. No resolution or merge details were recorded. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b | — | — | Closed as abandoned due to inactivity. The requested debug shell guidance for snapcraft cleanbuild was never implemented. | |
| qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b | — | — | Closed without implementation. The request for debug shell guidance was abandoned due to inactivity and the subsequent deprecation of the cleanbuild command in Snapcraft. | |
| qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6 | — | — | Closed as abandoned due to prolonged inactivity. The requested debug shell guidance was never implemented and is likely superseded by snapcraft's architectural changes and cleanbuild deprecation. |
Update history
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| created |
Related issues
| Issue | Project | State | Summary | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1609803 snapcraft cleanbuild --no-clean-up | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | Cleanbuild debugging landed in snapcore/snapcraft PR #740 (commit a24083e75); follow-up PR #1404 made --debug enter a shell when builds fail. | |
| #1697979 snapcraft fails on initial cleanbuild probe | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | Closed as obsolete: cleanbuild was decommissioned, and standard Snapcraft builds now transparently use a clean build environment. | |
| #1816042 snapcraft cleanbuild fails if container isn't fully ready | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | Closed as obsolete: @sergiusens said cleanbuild was no longer supported because normal builds now transparently provide clean builds. | |
| #1808800 snapcraft clean does not work inside snapcraft --debug | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | The managed-host failure in snapcraft clean inside snapcraft --debug was already fixed in an earlier release; maintainer confirmation was added on 2020-08-24. | |
| #1800119 snapcraft cleanbuild | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | The obsolete cleanbuild command was retired because builds became clean by default; a maintainer closed the report in August 2023. | |
| #1570706 Snapcraft cleanbuild command doesn't work | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | Fixed by merged canonical/snapcraft PR #458 (f78b1e3a3), which corrected Cleanbuilder constructor arguments so snapcraft cleanbuild could initialize its container. | |
| #1746381 snapcraft cleanbuild shouldn't always delete container at end | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | No fix was made: maintainers confirmed cleanbuild containers were disposable, recommended SNAPCRAFT_CONTAINER_BUILDS, and left the request for default failure shells unimplemented. | |
| #2044389 snapcraft clean failed but exit 0 | snapcraft (launchpad) | open | Snapcraft 7.5.3 reports a missing build environment during clean but exits 0; a maintainer confirmed the bug and agreed it should fail, with no fix recorded. | |
| #1811208 snapcraft failed to build with cleanbuild on 18.04 | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | Expired after 60 days without activity; no fix was recorded. A maintainer advised using --destructive-mode because cross-compilation in build environments was unsupported. | |
| #1675516 can't cleanbuild snapcraft itself | snapcraft (launchpad) | closed | Fresh testing confirmed Snapcraft could build itself successfully; the report was closed after the suspected interim fix was verified. |