---
id: snowflake-legacy
version: "1.0.3"
license: Apache-2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# snowflake._legacy — You should switch to the snowflake-uuid package

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 3.7M/mo

## What it is and what it does

snowflake-legacy is a temporary compatibility shim that allows existing code written for the old, unrelated `snowflake` package on PyPI to continue working during a migration period. The old package, owned by an independent developer, was transferred to Snowflake in 2023, and this bridge package provides a one-year window for users to migrate to the new `snowflake-uuid` package. It exposes a single function, `snowflake.snowflake()`, which reads and returns the contents of `/etc/snowflake` as a string (or from an alternative path if specified); if the file does not exist, it raises `FileNotFoundError`. The function performs no validation on the file contents.

This is not a tool for new projects. It exists solely to ease the transition for code that depends on the old package's API. Any call to `snowflake.make_snowflake()` will raise `NotImplementedError` and direct users to `snowflake-uuid`. The package has no runtime dependencies and is actively maintained, but its purpose is explicitly temporary—users are strongly advised to migrate to `snowflake-uuid` as soon as possible.

Use it for:

- Temporarily unblock legacy code that imports the old `snowflake` package without immediate refactoring during a migration to `snowflake-uuid`.
- Read system configuration from `/etc/snowflake` in environments where that file is present and expected by older applications.
- Provide a grace period for large codebases to update their dependency declarations before the one-year compatibility window closes.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides temporary backward compatibility for code that imports the old unrelated `snowflake` package, allowing it to read from `/etc/snowflake` or an alternative path; this is a migration bridge, not a primary tool.

No, unless you are actively migrating legacy code away from the old `snowflake` package. This is a temporary bridge with a one-year lifespan; new projects should use `snowflake-uuid` directly. If you have existing code that imports the old package, install this only as a short-term stopgap while you update your dependencies.

## Install

pip install snowflake-legacy
uv add snowflake-legacy
poetry add snowflake-legacy

## Installing snowflake._legacy

Before you install: Active maintenance with a recent release (4 days old), no runtime dependencies, and low install friction. However, this is explicitly a temporary compatibility shim with a one-year lifespan; it is not intended for new code.

License in practice: Apache-2.0 permissive license allows free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, suitable for any project type.

Quickstart:

pip install snowflake-legacy

import snowflake
content = snowflake.snowflake()  # reads /etc/snowflake
# or with custom path:
content = snowflake.snowflake('/custom/path')

Requires Python 3.10 or later (up to 3.14); the package is explicitly a one-year transition bridge and should not be used for new projects.

Verify before relying:

- Exact end-of-life date for the one-year compatibility window (first release was 2023-11-17, but current date context is unclear).
- Whether the `/etc/snowflake` file format or content expectations are documented elsewhere.

## Package facts

- License: Apache-2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 3.7M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

snowflake package migration, legacy snowflake compatibility, snowflake uuid transition, read etc snowflake file, old snowflake package replacement, migration-bridge, deprecated

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/snowflake-legacy) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/snowflake-legacy/)