engine-manage
Manage the Kurtosis engine server. Start, stop, restart the engine, check status, and view engine logs. Covers both Docker and Kubernetes engine backends. Use when the engine won't start, needs restarting, or you need to check engine health.
Best use case
engine-manage 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. Manage the Kurtosis engine server. Start, stop, restart the engine, check status, and view engine logs. Covers both Docker and Kubernetes engine backends. Use when the engine won't start, needs restarting, or you need to check engine health.
Manage the Kurtosis engine server. Start, stop, restart the engine, check status, and view engine logs. Covers both Docker and Kubernetes engine backends. Use when the engine won't start, needs restarting, or you need to check engine health.
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 "engine-manage" skill to help with this workflow task. Context: Manage the Kurtosis engine server. Start, stop, restart the engine, check status, and view engine logs. Covers both Docker and Kubernetes engine backends. Use when the engine won't start, needs restarting, or you need to check engine health.
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/engine-manage/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How engine-manage Compares
| Feature / Agent | engine-manage | 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?
Manage the Kurtosis engine server. Start, stop, restart the engine, check status, and view engine logs. Covers both Docker and Kubernetes engine backends. Use when the engine won't start, needs restarting, or you need to check engine health.
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
# Engine Manage Manage the Kurtosis engine server lifecycle. ## Status ```bash kurtosis engine status ``` Shows whether the engine is running and its version. ## Start ```bash # Start with default settings kurtosis engine start # Start with debug images kurtosis --debug-mode engine start ``` On Kubernetes, the engine runs as a pod in a `kurtosis-engine-*` namespace. You also need to run `kurtosis gateway` to access it from your local machine. ## Stop ```bash kurtosis engine stop ``` ## Restart ```bash kurtosis engine restart ``` Equivalent to stop + start. Useful after changing cluster settings or upgrading. ## View logs ```bash kurtosis engine logs ``` Dumps engine server logs. Useful for diagnosing startup failures or API errors. ## Docker vs Kubernetes ```bash # Check which backend is active kurtosis cluster get # Switch to Docker kurtosis cluster set docker kurtosis engine restart # Switch to Kubernetes kurtosis cluster set kubernetes kurtosis engine restart kurtosis gateway # Required for k8s ``` ## Engine on Kubernetes When running on Kubernetes: ```bash # The engine runs in its own namespace kubectl get ns | grep kurtosis-engine # Check engine pod kubectl get pods -n <engine-namespace> # View engine logs directly kubectl logs <engine-pod> -n <engine-namespace> # Start the gateway (required for local CLI to reach k8s engine) kurtosis gateway & ``` ## Common issues | Symptom | Fix | |---------|-----| | `No Kurtosis engine is running` | Run `kurtosis engine start` | | Engine starts but `engine status` shows nothing (k8s) | Start the gateway: `kurtosis gateway` | | Version mismatch warning | `kurtosis engine restart` to match CLI version | | Engine start hangs (k8s) | Check pods: `kubectl get pods -A \| grep kurtosis` | | Old engine blocking new start | `kurtosis engine stop` then clean namespaces |
Related Skills
service-manage
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context-manage
Manage Kurtosis contexts for connecting to different Kurtosis instances. Add, list, switch, and remove contexts. Use when working with multiple Kurtosis environments (local, remote, team shared).
cluster-manage
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starlark-dev
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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.
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.
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.