# debug-openshell-cluster

Diagnoses unhealthy OpenShell gateways, TLS issues, and sandbox startup failures across container runtimes and Kubernetes.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 474 installs · ★ 19954
- Author: NVIDIA
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/tree/HEAD/skills/debug-openshell-cluster/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-24
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/debug-openshell-cluster

## What it does

This skill troubleshoots OpenShell gateway deployments when endpoints stop responding or sandbox creation hangs. Diagnostics begin at the CLI layer. The agent lists active endpoints with `openshell gateway list --output json` and checks reachability. It can also run one-off checks bypassing stored configs with `openshell --gateway-endpoint <url> status`.

Next, investigation shifts to the compute driver backing the gateway. For runtime probing without manual configuration, the gateway checks compiled registrations in strict order: Kubernetes, Podman, and then Docker. The VM driver has no auto-probe and remains opt-in. Windows setups present a hard limit: bundled registrations for container runtimes act purely as rejection stubs.

Running these diagnostics requires the `openshell` CLI, local access to runtime sockets, and Helm 3 or newer for Kubernetes environments. Snap packages demand extra care. Enabling user gateway services across concurrent user sessions triggers an immediate address-in-use crash on `127.0.0.1:17670`.

## Requirements
- Works with: Docker, Kubernetes

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NVIDIA/OpenShell --skill debug-openshell-cluster -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/debug-openshell-cluster/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/debug-openshell-cluster/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NVIDIA/OpenShell --skill debug-openshell-cluster -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/debug-openshell-cluster/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NVIDIA/OpenShell --skill debug-openshell-cluster -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/debug-openshell-cluster/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install NVIDIA/OpenShell debug-openshell-cluster
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/debug-openshell-cluster/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NVIDIA/OpenShell --skill debug-openshell-cluster -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell --path skills/debug-openshell-cluster
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/debug-openshell-cluster/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NVIDIA/OpenShell --skill debug-openshell-cluster -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/tree/HEAD/skills/debug-openshell-cluster/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- diagnose why an OpenShell gateway is unreachable
- troubleshoot TLS, mTLS, and certificate errors
- resolve Docker, Podman, or Kubernetes driver failures
- fix port collisions in multi-user Snap deployments

## Example prompts
- Debug why the OpenShell gateway is unreachable from the CLI.
- Investigate why sandbox creation is failing on the Kubernetes driver.
- Check why openshell status reports connection refused.

## Source text · SKILL.md · Apache-2.0

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: bd3e2e3c330cc9b9.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE bd3e2e3c330cc9b9
```text
---
name: debug-openshell-cluster
description: Debug why an OpenShell gateway deployment is unhealthy, unreachable, or unable to create sandboxes. Use for gateway health failures, Docker/Podman runtime issues, Helm failures, Kubernetes scheduling, TLS or auth, gateway interceptors, supervisor middleware startup or runtime failures, external compute-driver sockets, VM drivers, or sandbox startup. Trigger keywords - debug gateway, gateway failing, deployment failing, helm install failing, cluster health, gateway health, gateway not starting, health check failed, sandbox pending, docker driver, podman driver, kubernetes driver, external driver, compute driver socket, gateway interceptor, supervisor middleware, middleware failed, vm driver.
---

# Debug OpenShell Gateway Deployment

Diagnose a gateway and its selected compute platform. Do not assume OpenShell provisions Kubernetes or runs a k3s container. OpenShell targets a reachable gateway endpoint backed by Docker, Podman, Kubernetes, the experimental VM driver, or an operator-managed out-of-tree compute driver.

Use `openshell` first to identify the active endpoint. Then use the platform tools that match the gateway's compute driver: `docker`, `podman`, `kubectl`/`helm`, or VM driver logs.

## Overview

The target deployment flow is:

1. Operator starts or deploys the gateway with system packages, systemd, or Helm. The CLI does not start, stop, or destroy gateway services.
2. Operator configures the compute driver.
3. Operator provides the CLI and supervisor authentication material required by the deployment mode: edge or OIDC user auth, optional CLI mTLS, and gateway-minted sandbox JWTs.
4. The CLI registers a reachable gateway endpoint with `openshell gateway add`.
5. The gateway creates sandboxes through the selected compute driver.

The `openshell-gateway` composition crate explicitly installs its compiled
Docker, Podman, Kubernetes, and VM registrations at startup; `openshell-server`
does not link compute-driver crates. Custom gateway binaries may include a
subset of those registrations. With no configured driver, the gateway probes only
installed registrations in priority order (Kubernetes, Podman, then Docker);
VM has no probe and remains opt-in. Confirm the binary's registered drivers
when auto-detection reports that no suitable driver is available. If
configuration selects a driver that was not compiled in, the gateway treats
the name as an external driver and reports a missing `socket_path` unless an
endpoint is configured.

On Windows, custom binaries can include MXC independently. Registrations for
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE bd3e2e3c330cc9b9

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the bd3e2e3c330cc9b9 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2607 of 60006 bytes. © NVIDIA · Apache-2.0 · https://github.com/NVIDIA/OpenShell/tree/HEAD/skills/debug-openshell-cluster/SKILL.md

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