Does Container Runner Support SSH Debugging?
Overview
No. SSH debugging is not currently supported for jobs running on Container Runner. This is a platform limitation — the "Rerun job with SSH" option will not be available for Container Runner jobs.
Alternatives for debugging Container Runner jobs
1. Review job logs
The most immediate debugging tool is the job output in the CircleCI UI. Ensure your job steps produce verbose output where possible, and use echo statements or equivalent logging to surface environment state, file contents, or command results inline.
2. Add a temporary sleep step
To keep a Container Runner job alive long enough to inspect its environment via kubectl exec, add a temporary sleep step:
steps:
- run:
name: Temporary debug hold
command: sleep 300While the job is running, use kubectl exec to shell into the pod directly:
kubectl exec -it <pod-name> -n <namespace> -- /bin/sh
Remove this step before merging or promoting your config.
3. Switch to Machine Runner for SSH debugging
If SSH debugging is critical to your workflow, Machine Runner supports SSH via the ssh.advertise_addr configuration option. See Enable SSH on a Machine Runner for setup instructions.
If you have feedback on this limitation or would like to see SSH debugging supported on Container Runner, please submit a feature request through the CircleCI Ideas portal.
Additional Links
Debugging with SSH: How to Rerun a Job with SSH — covers SSH debugging on cloud and Machine Runner jobs
Enable SSH on a Machine Runner — step-by-step setup for SSH on Machine Runner