`enable-patchelf` build-attribute uses `ld` for the build-on host, not the build-for host

Metadata

Project: snapcraft
Number: #5836
Type: issue
State: open
Author: lengau
Labels: Status: Triaged
Created: 2025-10-21 08:05 PM UTC
Updated: 2026-02-05 04:09 PM UTC
Closed: —

Current evaluation

Cross-compilation bug: enable-patchelf uses platform.machine() (build host arch) instead of target arch for dynamic linker, producing broken armhf snaps from arm64 hosts. Triaged with Jira ticket SNAPCRAFT-1287, no fix yet.

Suggested action: keep open

Reason: The bug is confirmed in code: get_dynamic_linker() in elf_utils.py uses platform.machine() rather than the target architecture, and patch_elf() in lifecycle.py calls get_arch_triplet() without passing the target arch. The issue is triaged (Status: Triaged label, Jira SNAPCRAFT-1287), the code still exhibits the bug, and no fix PR exists. Last human activity is absent but the bug remains valid and unfixed.

Impact: 55 Quick Win: 30.25 Staleness: 55 Complexity: 45 Confidence: 82 Support Request: 0

Issue body

### Bug Description When cross-compiling uv on arm64 for armhf and enabling patchelf, I end up with a 32-bin ARM executable that's interpreted with `/snap/core24/current/lib/ld-linux-aarch64.so.1` rather than `/snap/core24/current/lib/ld-linux-armhf.so.3`. ### To Reproduce Try building [uv-snap](https://github.com/lengau/uv-snap/tree/candidate-armhf) from the `candidate-armhf` branch. ### Environment n/a ### snapcraft.yaml ```yaml https://github.com/lengau/uv-snap/tree/candidate-armhf ``` ### Relevant log output ```shell n/a ``` ### Additional context _No response_

Evaluation history

Date	Model	Scores	Action	Summary
2026-09-01 02:29 AM UTC	qwen/qwen3.8-27b	Impact: 55 Quick Win: 30.25 Staleness: 55 Complexity: 45 Confidence: 82 Support Request: 0	keep open	Cross-compilation bug: enable-patchelf uses platform.machine() (build host arch) instead of target arch for dynamic linker, producing broken armhf snaps from arm64 hosts. Triaged with Jira ticket SNAPCRAFT-1287, no fix yet.
2026-07-22 12:14 PM UTC	qwen/qwen3.6-35b-a3b	Staleness: 55 Complexity: 60 Confidence: 90 Support Request: 5	keep open	Cross-compilation bug where enable-patchelf incorrectly sets the dynamic linker to the build host ld instead of the target architecture ld. Triaged, awaiting fix.
2026-07-08 11:27 AM UTC	qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6	Staleness: 75 Complexity: 50 Confidence: 80 Support Request: 5	keep open	Cross-compiling with enable-patchelf incorrectly sets the dynamic linker for the build-on host instead of the build-for host. Triaged, awaiting fix.
2026-06-16 06:42 PM UTC	qwen3.6-35b-a3b-mtp-q6	Staleness: 55 Complexity: 60 Confidence: 85 Support Request: 5	keep open	enable-patchelf incorrectly uses the host dynamic linker instead of the target linker during cross-compilation, causing architecture mismatches. Triaged and tracked internally, but inactive for over four months and awaiting development attention.

Update history

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