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Version: 2.0 🆕

Download Content from Pods

Who Can Perform This Action?

The permission required depends on how you access the Pod Terminal:

Access PathRequired Permission
App Details → Pod → TerminalAdmin access on the specific application
Resource Browser → Pods → TerminalAdmin access on the Kubernetes resource
Resource Browser → Cluster TerminalAdmin access of all the K8s resources of that cluster

Introduction​

While debugging Kubernetes clusters or pods, the workflow often requires exec-ing into a container and running commands to identify issues. Once the root cause is found, there is frequently a need to retrieve files from within the container — such as log files, configuration files, or diagnostic outputs — to share with teammates or archive for further analysis.

Devtron provides built-in support across three access points to download files directly to your local system, without needing kubectl cp or any external CLI tooling:

  • App Details → Pod → Terminal — for downloading files from pods belonging to a specific application
  • Resource Browser → Pods → Terminal — for downloading files from any pod across any cluster
  • Resource Browser → Cluster Terminal — for downloading files at the node level

Common use cases include:

  • Downloading application log files generated inside a container
  • Retrieving runtime configuration files for auditing
  • Exporting diagnostic outputs after a debugging session
  • Sharing troubleshooting artifacts with your team

Prerequisites​

Before you can download content from a pod, ensure the following:

  • To download via App Details, you have Admin access on the specific application.
  • To download via Resource Browser or Cluster Terminal, you have Admin access on the Kubernetes resource.
  • The pod you want to access is in a Running state.
  • The file you want to download exists at a known path inside the container.

Steps to Download Content from a Pod​

You can access the Pod Terminal and download content from two different places in Devtron — choose the one that fits your workflow:

Use this path when you are debugging a specific application and want to download files from one of its running pods.

Step 1 — Navigate to App Details​

Go to Applications and click the application whose pod you want to access.

In the application overview, click App Details.

Figure 1: Downloading content from a pod via App Details

Step 2 — Locate the Pod​

  1. Scroll down to the K8s Resources section on the App Details page.
  2. Click on Pods to expand the pod list for the application.
  3. Identify the pod you want to access and click on it to open its details.

Step 3 — Open the Pod Terminal​

  1. In the pod details panel, click the Terminal tab.
  2. Select the Container from the dropdown (for pods with multiple containers).
  3. Select the Shell type — sh or bash — depending on what is available in the container image.
info

If you are unable to connect, try switching the shell type. Not all container images include both sh and bash.

The terminal session will open inside the running container.

Step 4 — Download the File​

Once you are inside the pod terminal:

  1. Confirm the path of the file you want to download. For example:

    ls /var/log/app/

  2. Click the Download icon (↓) in the terminal toolbar.

  3. In the dialog that appears, enter the absolute path of the file inside the container. For example:

    /var/log/app/application.log

  4. Click Download. The file will be transferred to your local system automatically.

Downloading from the Cluster Terminal​

The download feature is also available at the Cluster Terminal level (node-level access), in addition to the Pod Terminal.

To access the Cluster Terminal:

  1. In the Resource Browser, click the Terminal icon (⌨) on the right side of the cluster row.
  2. Select a Node, Namespace, Image, and Shell from the dropdowns.
  3. Use the Download icon in the toolbar to download files from the node.

Figure 3: Downloading content via the Cluster Terminal

Refer to Cluster Terminal for more details on node-level access.

What You Can Download​

File TypeExample Path
Application log files/var/log/app/application.log
Configuration files/etc/myapp/config.yaml
Diagnostic outputs/tmp/debug-output.txt
Any accessible fileAny path readable by the container process
note

You can only download files that are accessible within the container's filesystem. Files on volumes not mounted to that container, or files requiring elevated permissions beyond the container's process user, may not be downloadable.

Troubleshooting​

IssuePossible CauseResolution
Terminal does not connectShell (bash/sh) not present in imageSwitch to a different shell from the dropdown
Download dialog does not appearFile path is incorrect or file does not existVerify the path inside the terminal first with ls
File downloads as emptyFile is being actively written toWait for the write operation to complete, then retry
Permission denied on fileContainer process lacks read accessUse an ephemeral container with appropriate permissions