containerd containerd: failed to delete container

What is containerd containerd: failed to delete container

Understanding Containerd

Containerd is an industry-standard core container runtime that manages the complete container lifecycle of its host system: image transfer and storage, container execution and supervision, and low-level storage and network attachments. It is widely used in various container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes and Docker.

Identifying the Symptom

When working with containerd, you might encounter an error message stating: containerd: failed to delete container. This error indicates that the system is unable to remove a container as expected.

What You Observe

Typically, you will see this error when attempting to delete a container using containerd commands. The container remains listed in the system, and resources associated with it are not released.

Exploring the Issue

This issue often arises because the container is still running or there are leftover resources that prevent its deletion. Containerd requires that all processes within a container be stopped before it can be removed.

Common Causes

The container is still running. Residual resources such as network interfaces or volumes are still attached to the container.

Steps to Fix the Issue

To resolve the issue, follow these steps:

Step 1: Stop the Container

First, ensure that the container is not running. Use the following command to stop it:

ctr container stop

Replace <container-id> with the actual ID of your container.

Step 2: Remove Leftover Resources

Check for any leftover resources that might be preventing deletion. This can include network interfaces or volumes. Use the following commands to clean up:

ctr container delete

If the container still cannot be deleted, manually remove any associated resources.

Step 3: Verify Container Deletion

After stopping the container and cleaning up resources, attempt to delete the container again:

ctr container rm

Additional Resources

For more detailed information on managing containers with containerd, you can refer to the official containerd documentation. Additionally, the containerd GitHub repository provides insights into ongoing developments and issues.