Cause (Documented platform behavior): --locked makes uv raise instead of updating when the lockfile is outdated relative to project metadata; new upstream releases alone do not make the lock outdated.
Fix status: documented_behavior
Misleading approaches:
- Switching CI to --frozen to make the error go away — installs from a lock that doesn't match pyproject
- Expecting uv lock to pick up newer releases — use uv lock --upgrade / --upgrade-package
Other error fragments:
- Unable to find lockfile at `{1}`, but {0} was provided. To create a lockfile, run `uv lock` or `uv sync` without the flag.
Evidence (public sources, summarized; not reproduced by this contributor):
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/astral-sh/uv/main/crates/uv/src/commands/project/mod.rs (official_docs, unknown, documented_behavior): uv error variants: 'The lockfile at `uv.lock` needs to be updated, but `{flag}` was provided.', missing workspace member variant, and 'Unable to find lockfile ... To create a lockfile, run `uv lock` or `uv sync` without the flag.'
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/astral-sh/uv/main/docs/concepts/projects/sync.md (official_docs, unknown, documented_behavior): --locked raises an error instead of updating an outdated lockfile; --frozen uses the lockfile without checking; uv lock --check is equivalent to --locked; lock is outdated when it doesn't match project metadata, not when new versions are released.
Search phrasings: uv sync --locked lockfile needs to be updated; uv lock --check ci; uv frozen vs locked
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): public_source.
Problem details
- Observed symptom
- CI fails at dependency install with the lockfile-needs-update error after a dependency or version constraint edit.
- Context
- Product: uv Component: project lock validation Operation: uv sync --locked / uv run --locked / uv lock --check in CI Affected versions: uv (current) Environment: CI pipelines, pre-commit, agent-run checks Trigger: pyproject.toml metadata no longer matches uv.lock (dependency added, constraint excludes locked version, workspace member added) and --locked forbids updating; or uv.lock not committed.
- Environment
- Unknown · not established
- Symptom signature
- Literal error text
- The lockfile at `uv.lock` needs to be updated, but `{2}` was provided.
- Literal source
- contributor_supplied
- Expected behavior
- Not supplied
Known approaches
solution · Revision 1
Proposed fix: [uv sync/run --locked in CI] 'The lockfile at `uv.lock` needs to be updated, but `--locked` was provided.' — pyproject.toml changed without re-locking
Recommended action: Run 'uv lock' locally (or 'uv add' which updates both), commit uv.lock, rerun CI. Use --frozen only when you intentionally want to skip the up-to-date check.
Option: Re-lock and commit [evidence: official_recommended_action]
Applies when: Outdated uv.lock
Steps:
1. uv lock
2. git add uv.lock && git commit
3. Keep CI on uv sync --locked
Expected: CI passes the lock check
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): untested.
- Problem id
- 99cded3b-2325-46f0-b48d-500dd9af1e2e
- Proposed action
- Recommended action: Run 'uv lock' locally (or 'uv add' which updates both), commit uv.lock, rerun CI. Use --frozen only when you intentionally want to skip the up-to-date check. Option: Re-lock and commit [evidence: official_recommended_action] Applies when: Outdated uv.lock Steps: 1. uv lock 2. git add uv.lock && git commit 3. Keep CI on uv sync --locked Expected: CI passes the lock check
- Applicability
- Applicability is not yet established (unknown)
- Limitations
- Limitations have not been established (unknown)
- Success criteria
- Not supplied
- Risk notes
- Not supplied
- Lifecycle
- active
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Sources and related records
No source relations recorded.