dump

$npx mdskill add kurtosis-tech/kurtosis/dump

Capture the entire system state by exporting service logs, configurations, and artifacts for debugging.

  • Facilitates sharing detailed system states when debugging issues or comparing runs.
  • Requires the kurtosis CLI with a running engine to execute the export.
  • Executes based on explicit commands to dump the whole system or a specific component.
  • Outputs a structured directory containing logs, specs, and stored files for offline analysis.

SKILL.md

.github/skills/dumpView on GitHub ↗
---
name: dump
description: Dump Kurtosis state for debugging and sharing. Export enclave state including service logs, configurations, and file artifacts to a local directory. Use when you need to capture state for offline analysis or to share with others for debugging.
compatibility: Requires kurtosis CLI with a running engine.
metadata:
  author: ethpandaops
  version: "1.0"
---

# Dump

Export Kurtosis state for debugging and sharing.

## Dump entire Kurtosis state

```bash
kurtosis dump /tmp/kurtosis-dump
```

This exports everything: engine state, all enclaves, services, logs.

## Dump a specific enclave

```bash
kurtosis enclave dump <enclave-name> /tmp/enclave-dump
```

## What gets exported

The dump directory contains:
- **Service logs** — stdout/stderr from each service
- **Service configs** — how each service was configured
- **File artifacts** — all files stored in the enclave
- **Enclave metadata** — creation time, status, parameters

## Directory structure

```
/tmp/enclave-dump/
  service-1/
    spec.json         # Service configuration
    output.log        # Service logs
  service-2/
    spec.json
    output.log
  files-artifacts/
    artifact-name/
      file1.yaml
      file2.json
```

## Common uses

### Share a bug report

```bash
# Dump the problematic enclave
kurtosis enclave dump failing-enclave /tmp/bug-report

# Compress for sharing
tar czf bug-report.tar.gz -C /tmp bug-report
```

### Compare two runs

```bash
kurtosis enclave dump run-1 /tmp/dump-1
kurtosis enclave dump run-2 /tmp/dump-2
diff -r /tmp/dump-1 /tmp/dump-2
```

### Capture state before cleanup

```bash
# Dump everything before cleaning
kurtosis dump /tmp/pre-clean-dump
kurtosis clean -a
```

More from kurtosis-tech/kurtosis

SkillDescription
cli-local-buildBuild and test the Kurtosis CLI from source. Compile the CLI binary locally, run it against Docker or Kubernetes engines, and iterate on CLI changes without creating a release. Use when developing or debugging CLI commands.
cluster-manageManage Kurtosis cluster settings. Switch between Docker and Kubernetes backends, list available clusters, and configure which cluster Kurtosis uses. Use when you need to change where Kurtosis runs enclaves.
context-manageManage 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).
docker-debugDebug Kurtosis running on local Docker. Inspect engine, API container, and service logs. Diagnose container crashes, port conflicts, and networking issues. Use when kurtosis commands fail or services aren't reachable on Docker.
docker-local-buildBuild and test Kurtosis from source on local Docker. Compiles all components (engine, core, files-artifacts-expander), builds Docker images, installs the CLI, and restarts the engine. Use when developing Kurtosis and testing changes locally with Docker.
enclave-inspectInspect and manage Kurtosis enclaves. List enclaves, view services and ports, examine file artifacts, dump enclave state for debugging, and clean up. Use when you need to understand what's running inside an enclave or export its state.
engine-manageManage 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.
files-inspectInspect, download, upload, and debug Kurtosis file artifacts. View artifacts in an enclave, download them locally for inspection, upload local files, and troubleshoot file mounting issues. Use when services can't find expected files or configs are wrong.
gatewayStart 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.
graflokiStart 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.