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Silent purge fails when super-sticky module prerequisite isn't super-sticky #582

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Description

@adrien-cotte

Problem description

I'm facing an issue regarding module purging when using super-sticky modules with non-sticky prereqs.

Summary of my use case:

  • workspace and default_workspace are virtual modules.
  • I can load multiple workspace/<group> modules simultaneously (e.g., workspace/enterprise, workspace/partner).
  • Only one default_workspace module can be loaded at a time, corresponding directly to a specific workspace/<group> module (e.g., default_workspace/enterprise, default_workspace/partner).
  • The related workspace module is a prerequisite (prereq) for its corresponding default_workspace module.
  • default_workspace modules have the super-sticky tag.
  • To avoid error messages during module purging, I configured: module config sticky_purge silent.

Examples in pseudo-bash:

$ module load workspace/partner
$ module load workspace/enterprise
$ module switch default_workspace/partner default_workspace/enterprise
$ module list -t
1) workspace/partner
2) workspace/enterprise
3) default_workspace/enterprise (super-sticky)
$ module purge
$ module list
1) workspace/enterprise
2) default_workspace/enterprise (super-sticky)

Current behavior

When purging my modules (module purge), I receive an error for the workspace module corresponding to the loaded default_workspace module, since the workspace module itself isn't marked as super-sticky:

$ module load default_workspace/partner
$ module purge
Unloading workspace/partner
    ERROR: Dependent default_workspace/partner is loaded

Expected behavior

When purging my modules with the configuration module config sticky_purge silent, I expect no error messages, even if a non-super-sticky module (workspace) is a prerequisite for a super-sticky module (default_workspace).

Activity

  1. added this to the 5.7.0 milestone on Feb 18, 2026
  2. self-assigned this
    on Feb 19, 2026
  3. added a commit that references this issue on Sep 1, 2026
    2f4a98e
  4. added 5 commits that reference this issue on Sep 9, 2026
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  5. added a commit that references this issue on Sep 20, 2026
    be0b4da
  6. added a commit that references this issue on Sep 21, 2026
    b48ed58
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