# Downgrade CI fails with "persistent task" Aqua error

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/downgrade-ci-fails-with-persistent-task-aqua-error/112644>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** aqua\
**Created:** [April 7, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/downgrade-ci-fails-with-persistent-task-aqua-error/112644 "2024-04-07T14:07:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lmiq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lmiq/32/18314_2.png) [@lmiq](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lmiq)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 2:07pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/downgrade-ci-fails-with-persistent-task-aqua-error/112644/1 "2024-04-07T14:07:15Z")

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The CellListMap.jl package [**Downgrade CI**](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/psa-add-downgrade-ci-to-better-check-version-compatibility/110063) is failing with the error below. Can some provide any clue on how to find what is going wrong?

I’m not sure what the `persistent_task` erorr is exactly, and less why it could appear because of downgrading a package.

```julia
      Info Packages marked with ⌃ have new versions available and may be upgradable.
┌ Error: Unexpected error: /tmp/jl_j6dUDUncHc/done.log was not created, but precompilation exited
└ @ Aqua ~/.julia/packages/Aqua/rTj6Y/src/persistent_tasks.jl:159
  Activating project at `/tmp/jl_pZqc6X`
Persistent tasks: Test Failed at /home/runner/.julia/packages/Aqua/rTj6Y/src/persistent_tasks.jl:80
  Expression: !(has_persistent_tasks(package; kwargs...))

Stacktrace:
 [1] macro expansion
   @ /opt/hostedtoolcache/julia/1.10.2/x64/share/julia/stdlib/v1.10/Test/src/Test.jl:672 [inlined]
 [2] test_persistent_tasks(package::Base.PkgId; broken::Bool, kwargs::@Kwargs{})
   @ Aqua ~/.julia/packages/Aqua/rTj6Y/src/persistent_tasks.jl:80
 [3] test_persistent_tasks
   @ ~/.julia/packages/Aqua/rTj6Y/src/persistent_tasks.jl:76 [inlined]
 [4] #test_persistent_tasks#61
   @ ~/.julia/packages/Aqua/rTj6Y/src/persistent_tasks.jl:85 [inlined]
 [5] test_persistent_tasks
   @ ~/.julia/packages/Aqua/rTj6Y/src/persistent_tasks.jl:84 [inlined]
 [6] macro expansion
   @ ~/.julia/packages/Aqua/rTj6Y/src/Aqua.jl:101 [inlined]
 [7] macro expansion
   @ /opt/hostedtoolcache/julia/1.10.2/x64/share/julia/stdlib/v1.10/Test/src/Test.jl:1577 [inlined]
 [8] test_all(testtarget::Module; ambiguities::Bool, unbound_args::Bool, undefined_exports::Bool, project_extras::Bool, stale_deps::Bool, deps_compat::Bool, piracies::Bool, persistent_tasks::Bool)
   @ Aqua ~/.julia/packages/Aqua/rTj6Y/src/Aqua.jl:100

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ChrisRackauckas](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/chrisrackauckas/32/77_2.png) [@ChrisRackauckas](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ChrisRackauckas)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 2:08pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/downgrade-ci-fails-with-persistent-task-aqua-error/112644/2 "2024-04-07T14:08:56Z")

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What is the lowest version of Aqua you allow? If you remove Aqua are your tests fine?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lmiq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lmiq/32/18314_2.png) [@lmiq](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lmiq)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/downgrade-ci-fails-with-persistent-task-aqua-error/112644/3 "2024-04-07T14:38:18Z")

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Yes, it is an Aqua error only, and I’m bounding it to 0.8.0.

Here is a branch in which I removed the Aqua test, if someone is curious: [comment Aqua test · m3g/CellListMap.jl@8c70f4b · GitHub](https://github.com/m3g/CellListMap.jl/actions/runs/8589471723/job/23535633600).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lgoettgens](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lgoettgens/32/203968_2.png) [@lgoettgens](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lgoettgens)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/downgrade-ci-fails-with-persistent-task-aqua-error/112644/4 "2024-04-07T16:37:11Z")

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The persistent task creates a new package TmpPkg with your CellListMap as a dependency and then tries to precompile TmpPkg. If this takes significant time, with a high probability there is some task created in CellListMap’s **init** function that does not terminate on exit of the precompilation. For more details, I would refer you to the Aqua docs at [Persistent Tasks · Aqua.jl](https://juliatesting.github.io/Aqua.jl/dev/persistent_tasks/).

There have been some significant changes on this test in the 0.8.x release cycle as there were some flaws in it on 0.8.0.  
I would recommend if bounding it to at least 0.8.5 (release from last week) fixes your problem or if it is due to downgrading some other dependency.  
In general, I would say that downgrading test-only dependencies like Aqua is not that useful. At least for Aqua, there are usually multiple patch releases with some fixes and/or minor enhancements per minor release cycle.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![lmiq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lmiq/32/18314_2.png) [@lmiq](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lmiq)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/downgrade-ci-fails-with-persistent-task-aqua-error/112644/5 "2024-04-07T21:42:04Z")

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Upgrading the minimum Aqua to 0.8.5 solved the issue.

I’ll see how to add it to a list of non-Downgradable packages.

Thanks.