> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ankra.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Pod Terminal

> Open an interactive terminal session to any running pod container directly from the Ankra dashboard.

Ankra lets you open an interactive terminal directly into any running pod container from the dashboard. Choose your shell, select the target container, and debug issues without leaving the browser.

***

## Opening a Terminal

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to a Pod">
    Go to **Clusters → \[Your Cluster] → Kubernetes → Workloads → Pods** and select a running pod.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the Terminal Tab">
    Click the **Terminal** tab in the pod detail view.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Container and Shell">
    If the pod has multiple containers, select the target container from the dropdown. Choose your preferred shell (`/bin/sh`, `/bin/bash`, `/bin/zsh`, or `/bin/ash`).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect">
    Click **Connect** to start the terminal session. You'll see a green "Connected" indicator when the session is active.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Features

| Feature                     | Description                                                                         |
| --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Multi-container support** | Select any container in a pod, including init containers and sidecars               |
| **Shell selection**         | Choose between `/bin/sh`, `/bin/bash`, `/bin/zsh`, and `/bin/ash`                   |
| **Auto-resize**             | Terminal automatically adjusts to your browser window size                          |
| **Connection status**       | Clear visual indicator showing disconnected, connecting, connected, or error states |
| **Reconnect**               | Quickly reconnect after a disconnection without leaving the page                    |

***

## Supported Shells

| Shell | Path        | Notes                                           |
| ----- | ----------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| sh    | `/bin/sh`   | Available in virtually all containers (default) |
| bash  | `/bin/bash` | Available in most full Linux-based images       |
| zsh   | `/bin/zsh`  | Available if installed in the container         |
| ash   | `/bin/ash`  | Common in Alpine-based images                   |

<Tip>
  If the container uses an Alpine-based image, use `/bin/sh` or `/bin/ash`. Bash is not included in Alpine by default.
</Tip>

***

## Requirements

* The **cluster agent** must be running and connected (cluster state: online).
* The **pod must be in a running state**. Terminal is not available for deleted or terminated pods.
* The selected shell must be available inside the container image.

***

## Troubleshooting

| Issue                         | Solution                                                         |
| ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "Connection error" on connect | Verify the cluster agent is online and the pod is still running  |
| Shell exits immediately       | The selected shell may not exist in the container. Try `/bin/sh` |
| Terminal appears blank        | Resize the browser window or click **Reconnect**                 |
| Session ends unexpectedly     | The pod may have been restarted or deleted. Check pod status     |