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.

533 stars

Best use case

service-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 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.

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.

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 "service-manage" skill to help with this workflow task. Context: 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.

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

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/service-manage/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kurtosis-tech/kurtosis/main/skills/service-manage/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/service-manage/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How service-manage Compares

Feature / Agentservice-manageStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

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.

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

# Service Manage

Manage services running inside Kurtosis enclaves.

## List services

```bash
# Services are shown in enclave inspect output
kurtosis enclave inspect <enclave-name>
```

## View logs

```bash
# View logs
kurtosis service logs <enclave-name> <service-name>

# Follow logs in real time
kurtosis service logs <enclave-name> <service-name> -f

# Show all logs (not just recent)
kurtosis service logs <enclave-name> <service-name> -a
```

## Shell and exec

```bash
# Get an interactive shell
kurtosis service shell <enclave-name> <service-name>

# Execute a single command
kurtosis service exec <enclave-name> <service-name> -- ls -la /data

# Execute with pipes (wrap in sh -c)
kurtosis service exec <enclave-name> <service-name> -- sh -c "cat /etc/hosts | grep localhost"
```

## Inspect a service

```bash
kurtosis service inspect <enclave-name> <service-name>
```

Shows detailed info including ports, status, and container ID.

## Stop and start

```bash
# Stop a service (keeps it in the enclave, just stops the container)
kurtosis service stop <enclave-name> <service-name>

# Restart a stopped service
kurtosis service start <enclave-name> <service-name>
```

## Remove a service

```bash
kurtosis service rm <enclave-name> <service-name>
```

## Add a service manually

```bash
kurtosis service add <enclave-name> <service-name> <image>
```

## Update a service

```bash
kurtosis service update <enclave-name> <service-name>
```

## Common patterns

### Verify after operations

Always confirm stop/start/rm succeeded:

```bash
# Check service state changed as expected
kurtosis enclave inspect <enclave-name>

# For start: verify the service responds
kurtosis service exec <enclave-name> <service-name> -- wget -qO- http://localhost:8080/health
```

### Check if a service is healthy

```bash
# HTTP health check
kurtosis service exec <enclave-name> <service-name> -- wget -qO- http://localhost:8080/health

# Check process is running
kurtosis service exec <enclave-name> <service-name> -- ps aux

# Check listening ports
kurtosis service exec <enclave-name> <service-name> -- netstat -tlnp
```

### Debug a crashing service

```bash
# Check recent logs
kurtosis service logs <enclave-name> <service-name>

# Check all logs from the start
kurtosis service logs <enclave-name> <service-name> -a

# Inspect for error status
kurtosis service inspect <enclave-name> <service-name>
```

### Copy data between services

Use file artifacts in Starlark:

```python
# Store files from one service
artifact = plan.store_service_files(service_name="source-svc", src="/data/output", name="shared-data")

# Mount in another service
plan.add_service(name="dest-svc", config=ServiceConfig(
    image="my-image",
    files={"/input": artifact},
))
```

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---------|-------|-----|
| Service won't start | Port conflict or image issue | Check logs with `kurtosis service logs`, verify image exists |
| Exec command hangs | Container has no shell | Use a base image with shell or `exec -- /bin/sh -c "command"` |
| Logs show no output | Service crashed immediately | Use `kurtosis service logs -a` to see full history |
| Service not listed | Wrong enclave | Run `kurtosis enclave ls` and `kurtosis enclave inspect` to find it |
| Stop has no effect | Service already stopped | Check status with `kurtosis enclave inspect` first |

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