# 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.

- Skill: `kurtosis-tech/service-manage` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add kurtosis-tech/service-manage`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/kurtosis-tech/service-manage/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: kurtosis-tech (https://skillmd.com/u/kurtosis-tech)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/kurtosis-tech/service-manage

---


# 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 |