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Troubleshooting

Common situations and how to get unstuck.

My terminal is quiet after start / serve — is anything happening?

Yes — you're just looking at the wrong surface. Those commands return as soon as the control node has accepted the request; they never stream an experiment. The live view is the browser dashboard:

autolab open           # this project: agent state, active runs, chat
autolab open <id>      # one experiment: its run logs, metrics and analysis
autolab status         # or a terminal snapshot of where things stand

If the dashboard shows queued experiments and no runs, you probably have no execution node attached.

Which log should I be reading?

Several things are called "log":

  • autolab log — experiment history, like git log. Not run output.
  • autolab open <id> → Logs → Run — your experiment's stdout/stderr, live.
  • autolab serve log — the node machine's narration, not your run's output.
  • Project → Log tab — project-level events.

The full map is in CLI and dashboard.

My GitHub repo doesn't show up in New Project

The repo picker only lists repositories shared with the Autolab GitHub App. In order of likelihood:

  • The repo isn't shared with the App. If you granted access to selected repos only, add it via "Adjust permissions" under the repo list (GitHub → the installation's settings page).
  • The App is installed on the wrong account. Install it on the account that owns the repo — for an organization repo that's the organization, not your personal account.
  • You installed the App on GitHub, but the picker still says "Allow access to your private repos". The installation isn't linked to your Autolab account — click Configure access.
  • You're in an org but can't install. GitHub sends the request to the org admins; once one approves it, the org's repos appear.
  • Access was revoked or the app uninstalled (the picker says so). Click Configure access to reconnect.

Installing the App connects repos; it doesn't create a project. After GitHub returns you to New Project, attach the repo and continue.

"Not logged in to <host>"

You don't have a stored token for the host the CLI resolved. Sign in, or check you're pointed at the right control node:

autolab whoami            # which host am I using?
autolab login             # sign in to it
# wrong host? override it:
autolab --url https://app.autolab.ai whoami

The host comes from --url → AUTOLAB_URL → profile → https://app.autolab.ai. See Configuration.

"git is not installed or not on PATH"

The CLI shells out to git. Install git (≥ 2.38 recommended) and ensure it's on your PATH.

checkout won't switch — I have local changes

checkout refuses to throw away uncommitted work. Either keep it as an experiment, or discard it:

autolab submit -m "wip"     # keep your changes as a new experiment
autolab checkout <id> -f    # or discard local changes and switch

"Ambiguous experiment id"

Short prefixes are convenient but must be unique. If a prefix matches more than one experiment, the CLI tells you — use a longer prefix (or the full id from autolab log).

I can't checkout a queued experiment

Queued and --soft/--nocode experiments may not have final code yet — the agent might still be coding it. In autolab log, the commit column is empty until the code is final. Wait for the code to land (or pick a different experiment).

submit didn't move me into the new experiment

That's expected with --soft or --nocode: the code isn't yours-and-final, so you stay in your current experiment. You advance only when you push code without --soft. See Run experiments.

My experiments are queued but never run

A live project with no execution node queues work forever. Attach one:

autolab nodes                              # any nodes attached?
autolab serve --project alice/nanochat     # turn this machine into one (backgrounds)

If a node is listed but offline, check the daemon on that machine: autolab serve status shows liveness and the recent runner log, and autolab serve --project <owner>/<slug> reconnects it.

See Execution nodes.

"researcher+ token required" when running serve

Registering a node clones private code, so it needs a researcher, admin, or owner token — not a viewer. Use a token from an account with that role:

autolab token create --name gpu-box   # mint one as a researcher+

Where are an experiment's artifacts?

Artifact upload isn't implemented yet — the runner doesn't store checkpoints or files. An experiment's run logs stream on its dashboard page (autolab open <id>), and a node's own runner log is on its dashboard page or autolab serve log.

My workspace lost its .autolab/config.json

The CLI rebuilds that metadata from the git remote automatically on the next command. If the whole .autolab/ directory is gone, just re-clone:

autolab clone alice/nanochat

Still stuck? Open the project in the browser (autolab open) and ask the agent in Chat — it has the project's history in context. Or see Resources.