CLI Exit Codes
Top-level caracal commands are limited to local runtime lifecycle, status, purge, run, and Console launch.
Exit Behavior
Section titled “Exit Behavior”| Command | Success | Failure |
|---|---|---|
caracal up | 0 after stack start succeeds. | Non-zero when Compose/build/start fails. |
caracal down | 0 after stack stop succeeds. | Non-zero when Compose stop fails. |
caracal status | 0 when health probes pass. | 1 when service health fails. |
caracal status --ready | 0 when readiness probes pass. | 1 when dependency readiness fails. |
caracal purge | 0 after selected state is removed. | Non-zero when cleanup fails. |
caracal run -- <command> | Child process exit code after credentials are acquired. | Non-zero before spawn when config, credential exchange, step-up, or governance fails. |
caracal console | Console process exit code. | Non-zero when Console launcher or TTY requirements fail. |
Structured Output
Section titled “Structured Output”caracal status --json emits machine-readable status. Console-owned diagnostics are available through the Console diagnostics view and management command catalog, not as top-level runtime CLI workflows.
Next Step
Section titled “Next Step”Use Compatibility before changing supported runtime, package manager, deployment, or docs build targets.