Restart Dev Containers Skill

Purpose: Restart Docker DEVELOPMENT containers the RIGHT way - this is the ONLY correct procedure.

CRITICAL: This skill is for DEVELOPMENT containers only. For TEST containers, use restart-test-containers skill.

When to Use:

• After code changes that need container rebuild
• When dev containers are unhealthy
• When "Element not found" errors appear in dev testing (usually means compilation errors)

When NOT to Use:

• For test containers - use restart-test-containers instead
• For running E2E tests - use test-environment skill instead

CONTAINER ISOLATION

CRITICAL: Dev and test containers are isolated using different project names:

• Dev containers: -p witchcityrope-dev
• Test containers: -p witchcityrope-test

This prevents operations on one environment from affecting the other.

SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH

This skill is the ONLY place where dev container restart procedure is documented.

If you find container restart instructions elsewhere:

1. They are outdated or wrong
2. Report to librarian for cleanup
3. Use THIS skill instead

DO NOT duplicate this procedure in:

• Agent definitions
• Lessons learned (reference this skill instead)
• Process documentation (reference this skill instead)

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The Correct Process

Common mistakes (DO NOT do these):

• Running docker-compose up -d without the dev overlay
• Running compose without -p witchcityrope-dev (will interfere with test containers)
• Running ./dev.sh then immediately running tests without checking compilation

Instead: Always use execute.sh -- it handles overlay, project isolation, compilation checks, and health verification.

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How to Use This Skill

Executable Script: execute.sh

# From project root
bash .claude/skills/restart-dev-containers/execute.sh

# Skip confirmation prompt (for automation)
SKIP_CONFIRMATION=true bash .claude/skills/restart-dev-containers/execute.sh

What the script does:

1. Shows pre-flight information (purpose, when/when NOT to use)
2. Requires confirmation before proceeding (skippable with env var)
3. Validates prerequisites (Docker running, project root, dev overlay exists)
4. Stops existing dev containers (using -p witchcityrope-dev)
5. Starts containers with dev overlay (docker-compose.yml + docker-compose.dev.yml)
6. Checks for compilation errors in Web and API containers
7. Verifies health endpoints (Web, API, Database)
8. Reports status summary

Script includes safety checks - it will not run blindly without showing you what it's about to do.

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Quick Reference

# From project root - with confirmation prompt
bash .claude/skills/restart-dev-containers/execute.sh

# For automation - skip confirmation
SKIP_CONFIRMATION=true bash .claude/skills/restart-dev-containers/execute.sh

# Force full rebuild (bypass Docker layer cache) - use after adding new npm/NuGet packages
NO_CACHE=true SKIP_CONFIRMATION=true bash .claude/skills/restart-dev-containers/execute.sh

No manual steps documented here -- all logic lives in execute.sh. If the script is unavailable, read execute.sh directly for the correct procedure.

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Common Issues & Solutions

Issue: Containers start but tests fail

Cause: Compilation errors in container. The skill automatically checks compilation logs and reports errors.

Issue: Port already in use

Cause: Old containers still running or other process using ports. Check running containers and kill orphans, or use lsof to find what's occupying the port.

Issue: Health checks fail after compilation succeeds

Cause: Services need more time to initialize. The skill retries health checks for up to 60 seconds.

Issue: Test containers were deleted when restarting dev

Cause: Missing project isolation flag. Always use this skill which includes the correct -p witchcityrope-dev flag.

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Integration with Agents

react-developer / backend-developer

After code changes:

I'll restart dev containers to apply my changes.

Skill is invoked automatically

Result: Code changes applied, compilation verified

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Output Format

When run via Claude Code, skill returns:

{
  "skill": "restart-dev-containers",
  "status": "success",
  "timestamp": "2025-12-01T15:30:00Z",
  "containers": {
    "running": 3,
    "expected": 3,
    "healthy": true
  },
  "compilation": {
    "web": "clean",
    "api": "clean"
  },
  "healthChecks": {
    "web": "healthy",
    "api": "healthy",
    "database": "healthy"
  },
  "readyForTesting": true,
  "message": "Environment ready for development and testing"
}

On failure:

{
  "skill": "restart-dev-containers",
  "status": "failure",
  "error": "Compilation errors in web container",
  "details": "TypeError: Cannot read property 'foo' of undefined at line 42",
  "action": "Fix source code and restart again"
}

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Related Skills

• restart-test-containers: For restarting TEST containers (uses -p witchcityrope-test)
• test-environment: For running E2E tests (calls restart-test-containers internally)

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Maintenance

This skill is the single source of truth for DEV container restart.

To update the restart procedure:

1. Update THIS file only
2. Test the new procedure
3. DO NOT update process docs, lessons learned, or agent definitions
4. They should reference this skill, not duplicate it

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Version History

• 2026-02-24: Removed test-server from dev compose
  • test-server does not belong in dev environment; test infrastructure is handled by restart-test-containers skill
  • Reduced expected container count from 4 to 3 (postgres, api, web)
• 2025-12-02: Removed seed data check
  • Was failing silently due to wrong database password
  • Unnecessary since API auto-seeds on startup and health checks verify connectivity
• 2025-12-01: Added -p witchcityrope-dev project isolation
  • Added reference to restart-test-containers skill
• 2025-11-04: Created as single source of truth for container restart

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Remember: This skill is executable automation. Run it, don't copy it.