Dev Cockpit

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Troubleshooting ​

This guide helps you resolve common issues when using Dev Cockpit.

Installation Issues ​

Command Not Found After Installation ​

Problem: Running devcockpit shows "command not found"

Solution:

  1. Verify the binary is installed:

    bash
    ls -la /usr/local/bin/devcockpit

  2. If missing, reinstall:

    bash
    /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/caioricciuti/dev-cockpit/main/install.sh)"

  3. Check your PATH includes /usr/local/bin:

    bash
    echo $PATH

  4. If not in PATH, add to your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

    bash
    export PATH="/usr/local/bin:$PATH"

Permission Denied ​

Problem: Error "Permission denied" when running installer

Solution:

bash
sudo /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/caioricciuti/dev-cockpit/main/install.sh)"

Package Manager Issues ​

npm Not Detected or "exit status 127" ​

Problem: Package module shows "Unknown" for npm or fails with "exit status 127"

Solution:

If using NVM (Node Version Manager):

  1. Dev Cockpit automatically detects NVM installations in ~/.nvm/
  2. Ensure NVM's default version is set:
    bash
    nvm alias default node
  3. Verify NVM directory exists:
    bash
    ls -la ~/.nvm/

If using Homebrew Node:

  1. Verify npm is installed:
    bash
    which npm
npm --version
  2. Reinstall if needed:
    bash
    brew reinstall node

If using system Node:

  1. Ensure /usr/local/bin is in your PATH
  2. Restart Dev Cockpit after installing Node

Homebrew Commands Fail ​

Problem: Homebrew operations fail or packages don't appear

Solution:

  1. Verify Homebrew is installed:

    bash
    which brew
brew --version

  2. Update Homebrew:

    bash
    brew update

  3. Check Homebrew paths (Apple Silicon uses /opt/homebrew):

    bash
    ls -la /opt/homebrew/bin/brew

  4. Add Homebrew to PATH if needed:

    bash
    echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zshrc

Docker Not Detected ​

Problem: Docker module shows "Not installed" but Docker Desktop is running

Solution:

  1. Ensure Docker Desktop is running

  2. Verify Docker CLI is accessible:

    bash
    which docker
docker --version

  3. If using Colima or another Docker alternative, ensure the socket is at:

    bash
    ls -la /var/run/docker.sock

  4. Restart Docker Desktop and Dev Cockpit

Cleanup Module Issues ​

Operation Timeout ​

Problem: Cleanup operations timeout, especially for large directories

Solution:

  • This is expected for very large caches (e.g., 50GB+ Xcode DerivedData)
  • The operation continues in background even if timeout message appears
  • Check ~/.devcockpit/debug.log for actual completion status
  • For manual cleanup of large directories:
    bash
    rm -rf ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/*

Permission Denied During Cleanup ​

Problem: Some cleanup operations fail with permission errors

Solution:

  1. Run Dev Cockpit with sudo for system-level cleanup:

    bash
    sudo devcockpit

  2. For user-level cleanup, ensure you have write permissions:

    bash
    ls -la ~/Library/Caches/

  3. Reset permissions if needed:

    bash
    chmod -R u+w ~/Library/Caches/

Empty Trash Fails ​

Problem: "Empty Trash" operation fails or hangs

Solution:

  1. Close any Finder windows
  2. Run from command line:
    bash
    devcockpit cleanup empty-trash
  3. If still failing, try a manual cleanup:
    bash
    # macOS
rm -rf ~/.Trash/*
# Linux
rm -rf ~/.local/share/Trash/files/*

Terminal and Display Issues ​

Colors Not Displaying Correctly ​

Problem: Terminal shows garbled characters or wrong colors

Solution:

  1. Use a modern terminal that supports 256 colors:

    • iTerm2 (recommended)
    • Terminal.app (macOS built-in)
    • Alacritty
    • Kitty

  2. Verify TERM environment variable:

    bash
    echo $TERM

    Should be xterm-256color or similar

  3. Set TERM if needed:

    bash
    export TERM=xterm-256color

TUI Layout Broken ​

Problem: Interface looks broken or overlapping

Solution:

  1. Resize terminal window (Dev Cockpit adapts automatically)
  2. Minimum recommended size: 80x24 characters
  3. Press Ctrl+L to force redraw
  4. Restart Dev Cockpit

Text Too Small/Large ​

Problem: Text is difficult to read

Solution:

  1. Adjust terminal font size (usually Cmd + + or Cmd + -)
  2. Use a monospace font (Fira Code, JetBrains Mono, etc.)
  3. Ensure terminal window is at least 80 characters wide

Performance Issues ​

High CPU Usage ​

Problem: Dev Cockpit uses significant CPU

Solution:

  1. This is normal during:
    • Initial system scan
    • Package listing operations
    • Large cleanup operations
  2. CPU usage should drop after initial operations complete
  3. Close other resource-intensive applications
  4. Check Activity Monitor for actual usage

Slow Response ​

Problem: Commands take a long time to respond

Solution:

  1. Check system resources (CPU, memory, disk)
  2. Ensure no other package managers are running:
    bash
    ps aux | grep -E "brew|npm|docker"
  3. Restart Dev Cockpit
  4. Reboot your system if it is generally slow

Stuck on Result Screen ​

Problem: Can't exit from cleanup or package operation results

Solution:

  • Press any key to dismiss result screens
  • Press ESC to return to module home
  • Press ESC again to return to module switcher

Problem: Package list or other modal won't close

Solution:

  1. Press ESC to close modal and return to module
  2. Press q as alternative quit key
  3. If frozen, press Ctrl+C to force quit Dev Cockpit

Can't Navigate Between Modules ​

Problem: Tab switching doesn't work

Solution:

  1. Ensure you're not in a module (press ESC first)
  2. Use number keys (1-9) or Tab to switch
  3. Use ← and → arrow keys to navigate tabs
  4. Make sure no modal is open (ESC to close)

Linux-Specific Issues ​

Missing System Tools ​

Problem: Some features don't work on Linux

Solution: Install the required tools for your distribution:

bash
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install ufw lsblk traceroute dnsutils whois xclip

# Fedora
sudo dnf install ufw lsblk traceroute bind-utils whois xclip

# Arch
sudo pacman -S ufw util-linux traceroute bind whois xclip

journalctl Permission Denied ​

Problem: System logs show "Error" or "journalctl not available"

Solution: Add your user to the systemd-journal group:

bash
sudo usermod -aG systemd-journal $USER
# Log out and back in for changes to take effect

Clipboard Not Working ​

Problem: Copy to clipboard doesn't work in the Support module

Solution: Install xclip or xsel:

bash
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install xclip
# or
sudo apt install xsel

NetworkManager Not Available ​

Problem: Network quick actions fail

Solution: If you're not using NetworkManager, the network quick actions may not work. Check if NetworkManager is running:

bash
systemctl status NetworkManager

For systems using systemd-networkd, network reset will fall back to restarting the networking service.

Debug Mode ​

Enabling Debug Logs ​

To troubleshoot issues, enable debug logging:

bash
devcockpit --debug

Logs are written to:

bash
~/.devcockpit/debug.log

View logs:

bash
tail -f ~/.devcockpit/debug.log

Common Error Messages ​

"Failed to get system info"

  • Usually temporary, caused by system API delays
  • Restart Dev Cockpit
  • Check Activity Monitor for system health

"Sudo password required"

  • Some operations need elevated privileges
  • Run with: sudo devcockpit
  • Or grant sudo access when prompted

"Command not found: brew/npm/docker"

  • Package manager not in PATH
  • Restart terminal after installing package managers
  • See "Package Manager Issues" section above

Getting Help ​

If you're still experiencing issues:

  1. Check existing issues:GitHub Issues

  2. Create a new issue: Include:

    • OS version and architecture
    • Dev Cockpit version (devcockpit --version)
    • Terminal app being used
    • Steps to reproduce
    • Error messages or screenshots
    • Debug log if relevant

  3. System Information: Helpful details to include:

    bash
    # OS and architecture
uname -sm

# Package manager versions
brew --version
npm --version
docker --version

# Dev Cockpit version
devcockpit --version

Uninstalling Dev Cockpit ​

If you need to uninstall, use the built-in command:

bash
devcockpit uninstall

This interactive command will:

  • Check if Dev Cockpit is running and offer to stop it
  • Remove the binary from /usr/local/bin/devcockpit (requests sudo if needed)
  • Prompt to remove configuration directory (~/.devcockpit/)
  • Clean up temporary files (/tmp/devcockpit-*)

For non-interactive uninstallation:

bash
devcockpit uninstall --force

Manual uninstallation (fallback):

bash
# Remove binary
sudo rm /usr/local/bin/devcockpit

# Remove config (optional)
rm -rf ~/.devcockpit

Reporting Bugs ​

When reporting bugs, please include:

  • Clear description of the issue
  • Steps to reproduce
  • Expected vs. actual behavior
  • OS, version, and architecture (uname -sm)
  • Error messages or screenshots
  • Debug log excerpt if relevant

Create an issue at: https://github.com/caioricciuti/dev-cockpit/issues

Released under GPL 3.0.

Copyright © 2025 Caio Ricciuti and Ibero Data