clean
Clean up Kurtosis enclaves and artifacts. Remove stopped enclaves, running enclaves with -a flag, and stopped engine containers. Use when you need to free up resources or start fresh.
Best use case
clean is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt. It is especially useful for teams working in multi. Clean up Kurtosis enclaves and artifacts. Remove stopped enclaves, running enclaves with -a flag, and stopped engine containers. Use when you need to free up resources or start fresh.
Clean up Kurtosis enclaves and artifacts. Remove stopped enclaves, running enclaves with -a flag, and stopped engine containers. Use when you need to free up resources or start fresh.
Users should expect a more consistent workflow output, faster repeated execution, and less time spent rewriting prompts from scratch.
Practical example
Example input
Use the "clean" skill to help with this workflow task. Context: Clean up Kurtosis enclaves and artifacts. Remove stopped enclaves, running enclaves with -a flag, and stopped engine containers. Use when you need to free up resources or start fresh.
Example output
A structured workflow result with clearer steps, more consistent formatting, and an output that is easier to reuse in the next run.
When to use this skill
- Use this skill when you want a reusable workflow rather than writing the same prompt again and again.
When not to use this skill
- Do not use this when you only need a one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- Do not use it if you cannot install or maintain the related files, repository context, or supporting tools.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/clean/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How clean Compares
| Feature / Agent | clean | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Clean up Kurtosis enclaves and artifacts. Remove stopped enclaves, running enclaves with -a flag, and stopped engine containers. Use when you need to free up resources or start fresh.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Clean
Remove Kurtosis enclaves and leftover artifacts.
## Basic clean
Removes only **stopped** enclaves and stopped engine containers:
```bash
kurtosis clean
```
## Clean everything
Removes **all** enclaves (including running ones):
```bash
kurtosis clean -a
```
## Selective removal
To remove a specific enclave without touching others:
```bash
# Stop an enclave
kurtosis enclave stop <enclave-name>
# Remove a specific enclave
kurtosis enclave rm <enclave-name>
```
## When clean hangs
On Kubernetes, `kurtosis clean -a` can hang if the logs collector cleanup tries to create pods on tainted/unhealthy nodes. See the `k8s-clean-cluster` skill for manual cleanup steps.
On Docker, if clean hangs:
```bash
# Kill the hanging process
pkill -f "kurtosis clean"
# Manually remove containers
docker ps -a | grep kurtosis | awk '{print $1}' | xargs -r docker rm -f
# Remove networks
docker network ls | grep kurtosis | awk '{print $1}' | xargs -r docker network rm
# Restart engine
kurtosis engine start
```Related Skills
k8s-clean-cluster
Force-clean all Kurtosis resources from a Kubernetes cluster when kurtosis clean hangs or fails. Removes all kurtosis namespaces, pods, daemonsets, cluster roles, and cluster role bindings. Use when kurtosis clean -a hangs or leaves behind orphaned resources.
starlark-dev
Develop and debug Kurtosis Starlark packages. Create packages from scratch, understand the plan-based execution model, use print() debugging, handle future references, and test packages locally. Use when writing or troubleshooting .star files.
service-manage
Manage services in Kurtosis enclaves. Add, inspect, stop, start, remove, update services. View logs, shell into containers, and execute commands. Use when you need to interact with running services.
run-package
Run Starlark scripts and packages with kurtosis run. Covers all flags including dry-run, args-file, parallel execution, image download modes, verbosity levels, and production mode. Use when executing Kurtosis packages locally or from GitHub.
portal
Manage Kurtosis Portal for remote context access. Start, stop, and check status of the Portal daemon that enables communication with remote Kurtosis servers. Use when working with remote Kurtosis contexts.
port-forward
View and manage port mappings for Kurtosis services. Check which local ports map to service ports and troubleshoot connectivity. Use when services aren't reachable or you need to find the right port.
lint
Lint and format Kurtosis Starlark files. Check syntax, validate docstrings, and auto-format .star files. Use when writing or reviewing Starlark packages to ensure code quality.
k8s-dev-deploy
Build, push, and deploy Kurtosis dev images to a Kubernetes cluster without creating a release. Rebuilds engine, core, and files-artifacts-expander as multi-arch Docker images with a unique tag, pushes to the logged-in user's Docker Hub, and restarts the engine. Use when testing local code changes on a k8s cluster.
k8s-debug-pods
Debug Kurtosis pods on Kubernetes. Diagnose why pods are Pending, CrashLoopBackOff, ImagePullBackOff, or Evicted. Check node taints, tolerations, resource pressure, and pod events. Use when kurtosis engine start fails or pods aren't coming online.
import-compose
Import Docker Compose files into Kurtosis. Convert docker-compose.yml to Starlark packages or run them directly. Use when migrating existing Docker Compose workflows to Kurtosis.
grafloki
Start Grafana and Loki for centralized log collection from Kurtosis enclaves. View aggregated service logs in a Grafana dashboard. Use when you need a UI for browsing logs across multiple services or want persistent log storage.
gateway
Start and manage the Kurtosis gateway for Kubernetes. The gateway forwards local ports to the Kurtosis engine and services running in a k8s cluster. Required when using Kurtosis with Kubernetes. Use when kurtosis engine status shows nothing on k8s or services aren't reachable.