Snap packages as build dependencies of other snaps

[Joseph Rushton Wakeling]

On 09/04/17 01:24, XiaoGuo Liu wrote:
> can you do it by remote parts? you can find more info by:
>
> $ snapcraft update
> $ snapcraft search
>
> There are a number of existing parts there already. You can publish your
> own.

That's a cool thing to know about.  I'd consider it, but since the package I 
want to use as a dependency is one that I control, I'm not sure that I really 
gain anything over just copying the relevant parts instructions into the other 
snap package.

The particular reason I would like to actually be able to use an existing snap 
package as a build package is really that it seems like a waste of effort to 
rebuild something that's already built (and takes some time to build).  I read 
the discussion here:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/snapcraft/+bug/1616985/comments/5

... and was wondering if that kind of flexibility was likely to arrive soon.

Note, I have a vested interest in this for a snapcraft plugin that I'd like to 
write myself, which has almost exactly the same use-case as the go plugin 
discussed in that issue. ;-)

Anyway, thanks for letting me know about remote parts.  But I think in this case 
I really would like to be able to ask for a snap package as something that can 
be used to build another snap.

Thanks & best wishes,

     -- Joe