Snapcraft does not take the environment variables into account during build

Metadata

Project: snapcraft (launchpad)
Number: #2002474
Type: issue
State: open
Author: ~snorbi
Labels: —
Created: 2023-01-11 07:51 AM UTC
Updated: 2023-01-11 07:51 AM UTC
Closed: —

Current evaluation

Snap packaging fails when an app command references an app-defined JAVA_HOME; snap pack reports $JAVA_HOME paths as missing. The report has a YAML reproducer and literal-path workaround, but no labels or maintainer discussion.

Suggested action: needs triage

Reason: The issue is still open with no labels or maintainer comments, so it has not been assessed. The supplied YAML reproduces `snap pack` rejecting `$JAVA_HOME/bin/java` as a missing literal path, and the direct-path workaround demonstrates a concrete impact, but whether app-command variable expansion is intended requires maintainer review.

Evaluated by: mr-cal-bot

Impact: 48 Quick Win: 15 Complexity: 62 Confidence: 78 Actionability: 82

Issue body

snapcraft.yaml: name: test-app version: dev summary: TODO summary description: TODO description base: core22 grade: devel confinement: devmode parts: app-jar: source: ./build/libs/ source-type: local plugin: dump stage-packages: - openjdk-17-jdk # TODO headless? apps: server: command: $JAVA_HOME/bin/java -jar app.jar environment: JAVA_HOME: $SNAP/usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-amd64 PATH: $JAVA_HOME/bin:$PATH Build output: Cannot pack snap file: Command '['snap', 'pack', '--filename', 'test-app_dev_amd64.snap', '--compression', 'xz', PosixPath('/root/prime'), PosixPath('/root/project')]' returned non-zero exit status 1. (2023/01/09 16:17:11.345666 container.go:215: in snap "test-app": path "$JAVA_HOME" does not exist 2023/01/09 16:17:11.345698 container.go:215: in snap "test-app": path "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" does not exist 2023/01/09 16:17:11.345702 container.go:215: in snap "test-app": path "$JAVA_HOME/bin" does not exist error: cannot pack "/root/prime": snap is unusable due to missing files) Failed to execute pack in instance. Workaround: the command should not use environment variables. command: usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-amd64/bin/java -version Discussion: https://forum.snapcraft.io/t/simple-java-application/33429/13

Evaluation history

Date	Model	Scores	Action	Summary
2026-10-02 07:54 PM UTC	stealth/space-bunny-alpha	Impact: 48 Quick Win: 15 Complexity: 62 Confidence: 78 Actionability: 82	needs triage	Snap packaging fails when an app command references an app-defined JAVA_HOME; snap pack reports $JAVA_HOME paths as missing. The report has a YAML reproducer and literal-path workaround, but no labels or maintainer discussion.
2026-09-24 08:55 PM UTC	stealth/space-bunny-alpha	Impact: 40 Quick Win: 13 Complexity: 48 Confidence: 76 Actionability: 62	needs triage	Needs triage: a core22 Java snap fails to pack when apps.command uses $JAVA_HOME, which snap treats as a literal path. A direct executable path works; a matching Launchpad report remains open.
2026-09-24 08:55 PM UTC	stealth/space-bunny-alpha	Impact: 35 Quick Win: 13 Complexity: 50 Confidence: 80 Actionability: 72	needs triage	Snap pack rejects $JAVA_HOME in an app command despite declaring JAVA_HOME. The reproducible report remains unassessed, with no confirmed fix or maintainer determination of expected behavior.
2026-09-24 08:55 PM UTC	stealth/space-bunny-alpha	Impact: 30 Quick Win: 8 Complexity: 68 Confidence: 90 Actionability: 82	needs triage	An open core22 recipe using $JAVA_HOME in apps.server.command fails during snap pack; replacing it with a relative literal path works. No maintainer response or resolution is recorded.
2026-09-03 10:55 PM UTC	qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6	Impact: 50 Quick Win: 30 Staleness: 85 Complexity: 40 Confidence: 40 Support Request: 20	needs triage	Environment variables in snapcraft command field not expanded during build, causing pack failure
2026-07-23 02:14 PM UTC	qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b	Staleness: 95 Complexity: 20 Confidence: 90 Support Request: 90	close not a bug	Snapcraft fails to pack due to unexpanded environment variables in the command field. No maintainer response in over 3.5 years. The behavior is expected, as command environment variables are evaluated at runtime, not during the build phase.
2026-07-23 02:14 PM UTC	qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b	Staleness: 95 Complexity: 40 Confidence: 80 Support Request: 10	close stale	Snapcraft fails to resolve environment variables in the command field during build. Issue is 3.5 years old with no activity; reporter provided a workaround.
2026-07-22 02:45 PM UTC	qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b	Staleness: 95 Complexity: 40 Confidence: 85 Support Request: 10	close stale	Reports snapcraft failing to expand environment variables during pack, causing build failures. Unlabelled, zero comments, and inactive for over 3.5 years. Author provided a hardcoded path workaround.
2026-07-10 07:55 AM UTC	qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6	Staleness: 95 Complexity: 40 Confidence: 85 Support Request: 65	close stale	Snapcraft fails to expand environment variables in app commands during build, causing missing path errors. No maintainer response, inactive for over three years.

Update history

Date	Change
2023-01-11 07:51 AM UTC	created

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