snap install from local file doesn't set tracking channel

[Jon Haynes]

I am using snap version 2.57.5+20.04

My scenario is that I need to install microk8s from a downloaded *.snap file. It is important that the tracking is contained to 1.24/stable. I do not want to go to 1.25/stable on the next automatic update.

I download a snap package and save it to a local file:

snap download microk8s --channel=1.24/stable --target-directory "/tmp" --basename="microk8s-1.24"

I then install from that local file, setting the tracking channel using the --channel switch:

snap install /tmp/microk8s-1.24.snap --channel=1.24/stable --classic

However the tracking to the required channel is not registered - the output of `snap list microk8s` is:

Name Version Rev Tracking Publisher Notes
microk8s v1.24.6 4023 - canonical✓ classic

If I were to have run the installation command sourcing the package directly from the snap store (i.e. without a downloaded snap package) I would have got the following output:

Name Version Rev Tracking Publisher Notes
microk8s v1.24.6 4023 1.24/stable canonical✓ classic

(i.e. Tracking is correctly set to "1.24/stable")

I am raising this as a bug as I would expect that, even though I am initiating the installation from a downloaded file, the tracking is really important so that snap updates do not take me to a version beyond my tracking restriction.

[Alberto Mardegan (mardy)]

Thanks Jon, I think this request makes a lot of sense.