Troubleshooting and Debugging

Overview

This outline provides guidance on troubleshooting and debugging issues encountered while working with apko. It covers various approaches, including leveraging logging and tracing mechanisms to pinpoint problems, analyzing common error scenarios, and exploring debugging strategies.

Logging and Tracing

Logging

• Apko utilizes the zap logging library to generate logs. You can configure the logging level and output format using the APKO_LOG_LEVEL and APKO_LOG_FORMAT environment variables, respectively.
• To enable verbose logging, set APKO_LOG_LEVEL to debug.
• Example:

APKO_LOG_LEVEL=debug apko build .
          

• Logs are typically written to standard error (stderr).

Tracing

• Apko leverages the opentracing library for distributed tracing. This allows you to monitor the flow of requests across different components, including the apko command, build tools, and container runtimes.
• You can enable tracing by setting the APKO_TRACING_ENABLED environment variable to true.
• Example:

APKO_TRACING_ENABLED=true apko build .
          

• Configure the tracing backend using the APKO_TRACING_BACKEND environment variable. Supported backends include Jaeger, Zipkin, and others.
• Refer to the opentracing documentation for further details.

Common Issues and Solutions

Build Errors

• Missing Dependencies: Ensure that all required dependencies are installed. Refer to the apko documentation for a list of dependencies.
• Invalid Build Configuration: Verify the correctness of your apko.yaml configuration file. Check for syntax errors, typos, and missing or incorrect values.
• Image Build Errors: Examine the output of the apko build command for specific error messages. These messages provide insights into the failure.

Execution Errors

• Missing Runtime Dependencies: Ensure that the required runtime dependencies are installed in your target environment.
• Permissions Issues: Verify that you have the necessary permissions to access files and directories.
• Resource Constraints: Check for resource limitations such as memory, CPU, or storage space.

Debugging Techniques

Debugging Using Logs

• Analyze the generated logs to identify the source of the problem.
• Look for error messages, warning messages, and other relevant information that might indicate the cause.
• Use the logging level to control the verbosity of logs.

Interactive Debugging

• Using apko in Debug Mode: Run apko with the -vv flag for more detailed output.
• Using Debuggers: Use debuggers such as gdb or lldb to step through code execution and inspect variables.

Code Inspection

• Review the relevant apko code to understand the functionality and identify potential issues.
• Utilize the apko source code and any related repositories for comprehensive analysis.

Community Support

• Engage with the apko community through discussions on the GitHub repository.
• Utilize the provided issue tracker and forum discussions for support and troubleshooting assistance.