RunContainerError ☸️ Kubernetes

Pod status RunContainerError

The container was created but failed to start — usually an invalid command/entrypoint, missing interpreter, or permission problem at exec time.

Seen on: Kubernetes

Meaning

RunContainerError means the runtime’s start call failed, often with “exec: … executable file not found in $PATH”, “permission denied” or a cgroup/seccomp error. It may cycle into CrashLoopBackOff.

Common causes

  • Entrypoint/command not found or not executable
  • Script with CRLF line endings
  • securityContext (readOnlyRootFilesystem, runAsUser) blocks start
  • Node runtime/cgroup problem

⚡ Quick fix

  1. kubectl describe pod for the start error
  2. Test the image locally with docker run
  3. Fix command, permissions or securityContext

Detailed fix by platform

Kubernetes

  1. bash
    kubectl describe pod web-0 | grep -A5 'Last State'
kubectl run debug --rm -it --image=myimage:1.0 --command -- sh

How to diagnose

  1. Message — Start error in events
  2. Image — Works with docker run?
  3. Security — runAsUser/readOnly settings

🔧 Still not fixed?

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