[JENKINS-63253] pipeline + docker + dir() causes: process apparently never started in ...

So there's this weird behavior when using the built-in dir() method with a pipeline, running on a docker container and it causes anything in the dir block to hang. Please note the example below, as it explains it better than I can describe it:

 

pipeline {

    agent {

docker {

    label '********'

    image '**********'

    registryUrl '************'

    registryCredentialsId '*******'

    args '--user root:root'

}

    }

    stages {

stage('dir-testing') {

    stages {

stage('without dir') {

    steps {

sh 'cd /opt && ls -l'

    }

}

stage('with dir') {

    steps {

dir('/opt') {

    sh 'ls -l'

}

    }

}

    }

    post {

always {

    cleanWs()

}

    }

}

    }

}

And the result is:

Started by user **********

Running in Durability level: MAX_SURVIVABILITY

[Pipeline] Start of Pipeline

[Pipeline] node

Running on ************ in /var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug

[Pipeline] {

[Pipeline] withEnv

[Pipeline] {

[Pipeline] withDockerRegistry

Using the existing docker config file.Removing blacklisted property: auths$ docker login -u ******** -p ******** *********

WARNING! Using --password via the CLI is insecure. Use --password-stdin.

Login Succeeded

[Pipeline] {

[Pipeline] isUnix

[Pipeline] sh

+ docker inspect -f . **********


Error: No such object: ***********

[Pipeline] isUnix

[Pipeline] sh

+ docker inspect -f . ****************

.

[Pipeline] withDockerContainer

************* does not seem to be running inside a container

$ docker run -t -d -u 0:0 --user root:root -w /var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug -v /var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug:/var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug:rw,z -v /var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug@​tmp:/var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug@​tmp:rw,z -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** ********************* cat

$ docker top 969a08a99a24c314d5d80f2cbf77920db4e269524d1af6738c0ddc5417da3f16 -eo pid,comm

[Pipeline] {

[Pipeline] stage

[Pipeline] { (dir-testing)

[Pipeline] stage

[Pipeline] { (without dir)

[Pipeline] sh

+ cd /opt

+ ls -l

total 8

drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Jul 24 15:29 artifactory-scripts

drwxr-xr-x 1  608  500 4096 Jul 24 15:39 cv25_linux_sdk_2.5

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // stage

[Pipeline] stage

[Pipeline] { (with dir)

[Pipeline] dir

Running in /opt

[Pipeline] {

[Pipeline] sh

process apparently never started in /opt@​tmp/durable-5a20a76a

(running Jenkins temporarily with -Dorg.jenkinsci.plugins.durabletask.BourneShellScript.LAUNCH_DIAGNOSTICS=true might make the problem clearer)

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // dir

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // stage

Post stage

[Pipeline] cleanWs

[WS-CLEANUP] Deleting project workspace...

[WS-CLEANUP] Deferred wipeout is used...

[WS-CLEANUP] done

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // stage

[Pipeline] }

$ docker stop --time=1 969a08a99a24c314d5d80f2cbf77920db4e269524d1af6738c0ddc5417da3f16

$ docker rm -f 969a08a99a24c314d5d80f2cbf77920db4e269524d1af6738c0ddc5417da3f16

[Pipeline] // withDockerContainer

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // withDockerRegistry

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // withEnv

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // node

[Pipeline] End of Pipeline

ERROR: script returned exit code -2

Finished: FAILURE

 

---
Originally reported by smirky, imported from: pipeline + docker + dir() causes: process apparently never started in ...

• assignee: wei948884609
  
• status: Open
  
• priority: Minor
  
• component(s): docker-workflow-plugin, durable-task-plugin
  
• resolution: Unresolved
  
• votes: 7
  
• watchers: 10
  
• imported: 2025-12-07
  

Raw content of original issue

So there's this weird behavior when using the built-in dir() method with a pipeline, running on a docker container and it causes anything in the dir block to hang. Please note the example below, as it explains it better than I can describe it:


 



pipeline {

    agent {

        docker {

            label '********'

            image '**********'

            registryUrl '************'

            registryCredentialsId '*******'

            args '--user root:root'

        }

    }

    stages {

        stage('dir-testing') {

            stages {

                stage('without dir') {

                    steps {

                        sh 'cd /opt && ls -l'

                    }

                }

                stage('with dir') {

                    steps {

                        dir('/opt') {

                            sh 'ls -l'

                        }

                    }

                }

            }

            post {

                always {

                    cleanWs()

                }

            }

        }

    }

}





And the result is:



Started by user **********

Running in Durability level: MAX_SURVIVABILITY

[Pipeline] Start of Pipeline

[Pipeline] node

Running on ************ in /var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug

[Pipeline] {

[Pipeline] withEnv

[Pipeline] {

[Pipeline] withDockerRegistry

Using the existing docker config file.Removing blacklisted property: auths$ docker login -u ******** -p ******** *********

WARNING! Using --password via the CLI is insecure. Use --password-stdin.

Login Succeeded

[Pipeline] {

[Pipeline] isUnix

[Pipeline] sh

+ docker inspect -f . **********


Error: No such object: ***********

[Pipeline] isUnix

[Pipeline] sh

+ docker inspect -f . ****************

.

[Pipeline] withDockerContainer

************* does not seem to be running inside a container

$ docker run -t -d -u 0:0 --user root:root -w /var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug -v /var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug:/var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug:rw,z -v /var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug@tmp:/var/jenkins/workspace/test-cwd-bug@tmp:rw,z -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** -e ******** ********************* cat

$ docker top 969a08a99a24c314d5d80f2cbf77920db4e269524d1af6738c0ddc5417da3f16 -eo pid,comm

[Pipeline] {

[Pipeline] stage

[Pipeline] { (dir-testing)

[Pipeline] stage

[Pipeline] { (without dir)

[Pipeline] sh

+ cd /opt

+ ls -l

total 8

drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Jul 24 15:29 artifactory-scripts

drwxr-xr-x 1  608  500 4096 Jul 24 15:39 cv25_linux_sdk_2.5

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // stage

[Pipeline] stage

[Pipeline] { (with dir)

[Pipeline] dir

Running in /opt

[Pipeline] {

[Pipeline] sh

process apparently never started in /opt@tmp/durable-5a20a76a

(running Jenkins temporarily with -Dorg.jenkinsci.plugins.durabletask.BourneShellScript.LAUNCH_DIAGNOSTICS=true might make the problem clearer)

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // dir

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // stage

Post stage

[Pipeline] cleanWs

[WS-CLEANUP] Deleting project workspace...

[WS-CLEANUP] Deferred wipeout is used...

[WS-CLEANUP] done

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // stage

[Pipeline] }

$ docker stop --time=1 969a08a99a24c314d5d80f2cbf77920db4e269524d1af6738c0ddc5417da3f16

$ docker rm -f 969a08a99a24c314d5d80f2cbf77920db4e269524d1af6738c0ddc5417da3f16

[Pipeline] // withDockerContainer

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // withDockerRegistry

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // withEnv

[Pipeline] }

[Pipeline] // node

[Pipeline] End of Pipeline

ERROR: script returned exit code -2

Finished: FAILURE





 

environment

```
OS Jenkins Master/Slave: Ubuntu x64 16.04

Jenkins server version: 2.235.2

durable task plugin version: 1.34

all other plugins: latest version (for 2020-07-29)
```