Troubleshooting Issues with Snapshot Creation Failures

Last updated: September 5, 2025

If you're experiencing issues with snapshot creation, validation, or upload, there are several common causes and solutions to try.

Common Error Messages and Solutions

"Snapshot with name [name] not found"

This error typically occurs when there's a timing issue between snapshot upload and validation, or when a snapshot is accidentally deleted during the creation process.

Solutions:

  • Check if you have any cleanup scripts or workflows that might be calling the snapshot delete endpoint during creation

  • Retry the snapshot creation - temporary registry issues can sometimes cause this error

  • If using GitHub Actions or automated workflows, ensure there are no DELETE API calls being made to snapshots during the creation process

"Forbidden resource"

This error indicates that your API key doesn't have the necessary permissions to create snapshots.

Solution:

  • Verify that your API key has snapshot write permissions in your account settings

  • Try creating a new API key with full permissions if the issue persists

"Timeout while validating snapshot"

Large snapshots may take longer to validate and can sometimes timeout during the process.

Solutions:

  • Wait a few minutes and check the dashboard - the snapshot may still complete successfully

  • Consider increasing the resource allocation (CPU, memory, disk) for your snapshot if it's particularly large

  • For images over 4GB, ensure you have adequate resources allocated

"Unable to find user daytona: no matching entries in passwd file"

This error occurs when the Docker image doesn't have the required user setup.

Solution:

  • Ensure your Dockerfile includes commands to create the necessary user before running other commands

  • Add user creation steps to your image build process

General Troubleshooting Steps

  1. Check your CLI version: Ensure you're using the latest version of the Daytona CLI by running daytona -v. Update if necessary with brew upgrade daytonaio/cli/daytona

  2. Verify your Dockerfile: Make sure your Dockerfile has a proper entrypoint like ENTRYPOINT ["sleep", "infinity"] for long-running processes

  3. Try through the dashboard: If CLI creation fails, try creating the snapshot through the web interface to isolate the issue

  4. Check resource requirements: For large images (4GB+), consider allocating more resources (CPU: 4+, Memory: 8GB+, Disk: 20GB+)

  5. Retry the operation: Many snapshot issues are temporary and resolve on retry

When to Contact Support

If you continue experiencing issues after trying these solutions, contact support with:

  • Your organization ID (found in Settings)

  • The exact error message

  • Whether you're using CLI, SDK, or dashboard

  • The size and complexity of your image

  • Any custom workflows or automation involved

The development team is continuously working on improving snapshot reliability and orchestration.