Architectures¶

By default, Snapcraft builds a snap to run on the same architecture as the build environment. This behaviour can be modified with the top-level keys architectures and platforms in the snap’s project file.

The architectures and platforms keys are used to create a build plan. See build plans for an explanation on how build plans are created.

The keys are base-dependent:

platforms is used for core24 snaps
architectures is used for core20 and core22 snaps

How to create a snap for a specific architecture¶

To create a snap that will be built on amd64 and built for amd64, use one of the project file snippets below.

core24¶

snapcraft.yaml¶

platforms:
  amd64:
    build-on: [amd64]
    build-for: [amd64]

Building on amd64 will produce one snap built for amd64.

If the platform name is a valid architecture and build-for is omitted, build-for will assume the platform name. The following snippet will produce the same result as above:

snapcraft.yaml¶

platforms:
  amd64:
    build-on: [amd64]

If the platform name is a valid architecture, then build-on and build-for will assume the platform name. The following snippet will produce the same result:

snapcraft.yaml¶

platforms:
  amd64:

Note that build-for can be omitted if build-on is defined but the converse is not true; build-on cannot be omitted if build-for is defined.

core22¶

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
    build-for: [amd64]

Building on amd64 will produce one snap built for amd64. Snapcraft will raise an error when building on another architecture.

If build-for is omitted, it will assume the value of build-on. The following snippet will produce the same result:

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]

core20¶

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
    run-on: [amd64]

Building on amd64 will produce one snap built for amd64. Snapcraft will not raise an error when building on another architecture. Instead, it will ignore the architectures key and build for the build-on architecture.

If run-on is omitted, it will assume the value of build-on. The following snippet will produce the same result:

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]

The shorthand format will also produce the same result:

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - amd64

How to create a set of snaps for multiple architectures¶

core24¶

core24 snaps accept a single build-for architecture per-platform. To create a set of snaps for multiple architectures, define a set of platforms:

snapcraft.yaml¶

platforms:
  amd64:
    build-on: [amd64]
    build-for: [amd64]
  arm64:
    build-on: [arm64]
    build-for: [arm64]

Building on amd64 will produce one snap for amd64. Building on arm64 will produce one snap for arm64. Snapcraft will raise an error when building on another architecture.

If the platform name is a valid architecture and build-for is omitted, build-for will assume the platform name. The following snippet will produce the same result as above:

snapcraft.yaml¶

platforms:
  amd64:
    build-on: [amd64]
  arm64:
    build-on: [arm64]

If the platform name is a valid architecture, then build-on and build-for will assume the platform name. The following snippet will produce the same result:

snapcraft.yaml¶

platforms:
  amd64:
  arm64:

core22¶

core22 snaps accept a single build-for architecture per build-on/build-for pair. To create a set of snaps for multiple architectures, define a set of build-on/build-for pairs:

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
    build-for: [amd64]
  - build-on: [arm64]
    build-for: [arm64]

Building on amd64 will produce one snap for amd64. Building on arm64 will produce one snap for arm64. Snapcraft will raise an error when building on another architecture.

If build-for is omitted, it will assume the value of build-on. The following snippet will produce the same result:

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
  - build-on: [arm64]

core20¶

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
    run-on: [amd64]
  - build-on: [arm64]
    run-on: [arm64]

Building on amd64 will produce one snap built for amd64. Building on arm64 will produce one snap built for arm64. Snapcraft will not raise an error when building on another architecture. Instead, it will ignore the architectures key and build for the build-on architecture.

If run-on is omitted, it will assume the value of build-on. The following snippet will produce the same result:

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
  - build-on: [arm64]

The shorthand format will also produce the same result:

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures: [amd64, arm64]

How to create an architecture independent snap¶

build-for: [all] is used for a snap that can run on all architectures, like a snap that is a shell or python script. It cannot be combined with other architectures. Click here for more information on the all key.

core24¶

platforms:

all:: build-on: [amd64] build-for: [all]

core22¶

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
    build-for: [all]

core20¶

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
    run-on: [all]

How to build a snap for a different architecture¶

core24¶

snapcraft.yaml¶

platforms:
  arm64:
    build-on: [amd64]
    build-for: [arm64]

Building on amd64 will produce one snap built for arm64.

If the platform name is a valid architecture and build-for is omitted, build-for will assume the platform name. The following snippet will produce the same result as above:

snapcraft.yaml¶

platforms:
  arm64:
    build-on: [amd64]

core24 can handle complex build plans. For example:

snapcraft.yaml¶

platforms:
    amd64:
        build-on: [amd64]
        build-for: [amd64]
    arm64:
        build-on: [amd64, arm64]
        build-for: [arm64]

Building on arm64 will produce one snap built for arm64.

Building on amd64 will produce two snaps, one built for amd64 and one built for arm64. This only occurs using remote-build or a build provider. In destructive mode, Snapcraft can only produce one snap. --build-for or --platform must be used to narrow down the build plan to a single snap. For example, snapcraft pack --destructive-mode --platform arm64 on amd64 will produce one snap built for arm64.

Snapcraft will raise an error when building on another architecture.

core22¶

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
    build-for: [arm64]

Building on amd64 will produce one snap built for arm64. Snapcraft will raise an error when building on another architecture.

core22 can handle complex build plans. For example:

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
    build-for: [amd64]
  - build-on: [amd64, arm64]
    build-for: [arm64]

Building on amd64 will produce two snaps, one built for amd64 and one built for arm64. Building on arm64 will produce one snap built for arm64. Snapcraft will raise an error when building on another architecture.

core20¶

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
    run-on: [arm64]

Building on amd64 will produce one snap built for arm64. Snapcraft will not raise an error when building on another architecture. Instead, it will ignore the architectures key and build for the build-on architecture.

Complex build plans like the previous core22 example are not supported for core20.

How to stage packages from another architecture¶

To use an i386 package for an amd64 snap, use the following project file snippets for core22:

snapcraft.yaml¶

architectures:
  - build-on: [amd64]
    build-for: [amd64]

package-repositories:
  - type: apt
    formats: [deb]
    architectures: [i386]
    components: [main]
    suites: [jammy]
    key-id: F23C5A6CF475977595C89F51BA6932366A755776
    url: https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/deadsnakes/ppa/ubuntu

parts:
  mypart:
    stage-packages:
      - libpython3.11-minimal:i386

This is supported for related architectures. A snap built for amd64 can stage i386 packages and a snap built for i386 can stage amd64 packages. Similarly, a snap built for arm64 can stage armhf packages and a snap built for armhf can stage amd64 packages.