docs/content/codespaces/troubleshooting/troubleshooting-creation-and-deletion-of-codespaces.md

title, intro, product, versions, type, topics, shortTitle

title	intro	product	versions	type	topics	shortTitle
Troubleshooting creation and deletion of codespaces	This article provides troubleshooting steps for common issues you may experience when creating or deleting a codespace, including storage and configuration issues.	{% data reusables.gated-features.codespaces %}	fpt ghec * *	reference	Codespaces	Creation and deletion

Creating codespaces

No access to create a codespace

{% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %} is not available for all repositories. If the codespace creation button is missing, {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %} may not be available for that repository. For more information, see "Creating a codespace."

You can't create a codespace for a private repository that's owned by an organization, unless you have write access to the repository or the organization has enabled forking for it.

If you believe your organization has enabled {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %}, make sure that an organization owner or billing manager has set the spending limit for {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %}. For more information, see "Managing your spending limit for {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %}."

Codespace does not open when created

If you create a codespace and it does not open:

1. Try reloading the page in case there was a caching or reporting problem.
2. Go to your {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %} page: https://github.com/codespaces and check whether the new codespace is listed there. The process may have successfully created the codespace but failed to report back to your browser. If the new codespace is listed, you can open it directly from that page.
3. Retry creating the codespace for the repository to rule out a transient communication failure.

If you still cannot create a codespace for a repository where {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %} is available, {% data reusables.codespaces.contact-support %}

Codespace creation fails

If the creation of a codespace fails, it's likely to be due to a temporary infrastructure issue in the cloud - for example, a problem provisioning a virtual machine for the codespace. A less common reason for failure is if it takes longer than an hour to build the container. In this case, the build is cancelled and codespace creation will fail.

{% note %}

Note: A codespace that was not successfully created is never going to be usable and should be deleted. For more information, see "Deleting a codespace."

{% endnote %}

If you create a codespace and the creation fails:

1. Check {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}'s Status page for any active incidents.

2. Go to your {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %} page, delete the codespace, and create a new codespace.

3. If the container is building, look at the logs that are streaming and make sure the build is not stuck. A container build that takes longer than one hour will be canceled, resulting in a failed creation.

   One common scenario where this could happen is if you have a script running that is prompting for user input and waiting for an answer. If this is the case, remove the interactive prompt so that the build can complete non-interactively.

   {% note %}

   Note: To view the logs during a build:

   • In the browser, click View logs.

   

   • In the VS Code desktop application, click Building codespace in the "Setting up remote connection" that's displayed.

   

   {% endnote %}

4. If you have a container that takes a long time to build, consider using prebuilds to speed up codespace creations. For more information, see "Configuring prebuilds."

Deleting codespaces

A codespace can only be deleted by:

• The person who created the codespace.
• An organization owner for an organization-owned codespace.
• Automatic deletion at the end of a retention period.

For more information, see "Deleting a codespace" and "Configuring automatic deletion of your codespaces."

Container storage

When you create a codespace, it has a finite amount of storage and over time it may be necessary for you to free up space. Try running any of the following commands in the {% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %} terminal to free up storage space.

• Remove packages that are no longer used by using sudo apt autoremove.
• Clean the apt cache by using sudo apt clean.
• See the top 10 largest files in the codespace withsudo find / -printf '%s %p\n'| sort -nr | head -10.
• Delete unneeded files, such as build artifacts and logs.

Some more destructive options:

• Remove unused Docker images, networks, and containers by using docker system prune (append -a if you want to remove all images, and --volumes if you want to remove all volumes).
• Remove untracked files from working tree: git clean -i.

Configuration

{% data reusables.codespaces.recovery-mode %}

This codespace is currently running in recovery mode due to a container error.

Review the creation logs and update the dev container configuration as needed. For more information, see "{% data variables.product.prodname_github_codespaces %} logs."

You can then try restarting the codespace, or rebuilding the container. For more information, see "Introduction to dev containers."