managing-astro-local-env

---
name: managing-astro-local-env
description: Manage local Airflow environment with Astro CLI (Docker and standalone modes). Use when the user wants to start, stop, or restart Airflow, view logs, query the Airflow API, troubleshoot, or fix environment issues. For project setup, see setting-up-astro-project.
---

# Astro Local Environment

This skill helps you manage your local Airflow environment using the Astro CLI.

Two modes: **Docker** (default, uses containers) and **Standalone** (Docker-free, uses a local venv — requires Airflow 3 + `uv`).

> **To set up a new project**, see the **setting-up-astro-project** skill.
> **When Airflow is running**, use MCP tools from **authoring-dags** and **testing-dags** skills.

---

## Start / Stop / Restart (Docker)

```bash
# Start local Airflow (webserver at http://localhost:8080)
astro dev start

# Stop containers (preserves data)
astro dev stop

# Kill and remove volumes (clean slate)
astro dev kill

# Restart all containers
astro dev restart

# Restart specific component
astro dev restart --scheduler
astro dev restart --webserver
```

**Default credentials:** admin / admin

**Restart after modifying:** `requirements.txt`, `packages.txt`, `Dockerfile`

> **Standalone mode?** See the next section.

---

## Standalone Mode

Docker-free local development. Runs Airflow directly on your machine in a `.venv/` managed by `uv`.

**Requirements:** Airflow 3 (runtime 3.x), `uv` on PATH. Not supported on Windows.

> Plain `astro dev init` already pins a runtime 3.x image, so no version flag is needed. See **setting-up-astro-project** for project initialization.

### Start

```bash
# One-time: set standalone as default mode
astro config set dev.mode standalone

# Or use the flag per invocation
astro dev start --standalone
```

| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `--foreground` / `-f` | Stream output in foreground |
| `--port` / `-p` | Override webserver port (default: 8080) |
| `--no-proxy` | Disable reverse proxy |

### Stop / Kill / Restart

```bash
# Stop (preserves .venv)
astro dev stop

# Kill (removes .venv and .astro/standalone/ — clean slate)
astro dev kill

# Restart (preserves .venv for fast restart, use -k to kill first)
astro dev restart
```

> If you used `--standalone` on start instead of setting the config, pass `--standalone` on every subsequent command too (stop, kill, restart, bash, run, logs, etc.).

**State locations:** venv in `.venv/`, database and logs in `.astro/standalone/`, DAGs from `dags/`.

---

## Reverse Proxy

Run multiple Airflow projects locally without port conflicts. Works in both Docker and standalone modes.

Each project gets a hostname like `<project-name>.localhost:6563`. Visit `http://localhost:6563` to see all active projects.

```bash
# Check proxy status and active routes
astro dev proxy status

# Force-stop proxy (auto-restarts on next astro dev start)
astro dev proxy stop
```

| Config | Command |
|--------|---------|
| Change proxy port | `astro config set proxy.port <port>` |
| Disable per-start | `astro dev start --no-proxy` |

Default proxy port: **6563**

---

## Check Status

```bash
astro dev ps
```

---

## View Logs

```bash
# All logs
astro dev logs

# Specific component
astro dev logs --scheduler
astro dev logs --webserver

# Follow in real-time
astro dev logs -f
```

**Standalone:** `astro dev logs` works the same but shows a unified log (no per-component filtering).

---

## Run Airflow CLI Commands

```bash
# Open a shell with Airflow environment
astro dev bash

# Run Airflow CLI commands
astro dev run airflow info
astro dev run airflow dags list
```

**Standalone:** Same commands work — `bash` opens a venv-activated shell, `run` executes in the venv.

---

## Querying the Airflow API

Use `astro api airflow` to query a running local Airflow instance. Prefer operation IDs over URL paths.

**Defaults:** localhost:8080, admin/admin (auto-detected). Override with `--api-url`, `--username`, `--password`.

### Discovery

```bash
# List all endpoints
astro api airflow ls

# Filter by keyword
astro api airflow ls dags
astro api airflow ls task

# Show params and schema for an operation
astro api airflow describe get_dag
```

### Key Flags

| Flag | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `-p key=value` | Path parameters |
| `-F key=value` | Body/query fields (auto-converts booleans/numbers) |
| `-q` / `--jq` | jq filter on response |
| `--paginate` | Fetch all pages |
| `-X` / `--method` | Override HTTP method |
| `--generate` | Output curl command instead of executing |

### DAGs

```bash
# List all DAGs
astro api airflow get_dags

# Filter by pattern (SQL LIKE — use % wildcards)
astro api airflow get_dags -F dag_id_pattern=%etl%

# Get a specific DAG
astro api airflow get_dag -p dag_id=my_dag

# Get full details (schedule, params, etc.)
astro api airflow get_dag_details -p dag_id=my_dag

# Pause / unpause
astro api airflow patch_dag -p dag_id=my_dag -F is_paused=true
astro api airflow patch_dag -p dag_id=my_dag -F is_paused=false

# View DAG source code
astro api airflow get_dag_source -p dag_id=my_dag

# Check import errors
astro api airflow get_import_errors
```

### DAG Runs

```bash
# List runs for a DAG
astro api airflow get_dag_runs -p dag_id=my_dag

# Trigger a run
astro api airflow trigger_dag_run -p dag_id=my_dag

# Trigger with config
astro api airflow trigger_dag_run -p dag_id=my_dag -F conf[key]=value

# Get a specific run
astro api airflow get_dag_run -p dag_id=my_dag -p dag_run_id=manual__2026-04-07

# Clear (re-run) a DAG run
astro api airflow clear_dag_run -p dag_id=my_dag -p dag_run_id=manual__2026-04-07 -F dry_run=false
```

### Task Instances

```bash
# List task instances for a run
astro api airflow get_task_instances -p dag_id=my_dag -p dag_run_id=manual__2026-04-07

# Use ~ as wildcard (all DAGs or all runs)
astro api airflow get_task_instances -p dag_id=my_dag -p dag_run_id=~

# Get a specific task instance
astro api airflow get_task_instance -p dag_id=my_dag -p dag_run_id=manual__2026-04-07 -p task_id=extract

# Clear/retry failed tasks
astro api airflow post_clear_task_instances -p dag_id=my_dag \
  -F dag_run_id=manual__2026-04-07 -F only_failed=true -F dry_run=false

# Get task logs
astro api airflow get_log -p dag_id=my_dag -p dag_run_id=manual__2026-04-07 \
  -p task_id=extract -p try_number=1
```

### Config & Connections

```bash
astro api airflow get_connections
astro api airflow get_variables
astro api airflow get_config
```

### Filtering with jq

```bash
# List only DAG IDs
astro api airflow get_dags -q '.dags[].dag_id'

# Get failed task IDs from a run
astro api airflow get_task_instances -p dag_id=my_dag -p dag_run_id=~ \
  -q '[.task_instances[] | select(.state=="failed") | .task_id]'
```

---

## Troubleshooting

| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| Port 8080 in use | Stop other containers or edit `.astro/config.yaml` |
| Container won't start | `astro dev kill` then `astro dev start` |
| Package install failed | Check `requirements.txt` syntax |
| DAG not appearing | Run `astro dev parse` to check for import errors |
| Out of disk space | `docker system prune` |
| Standalone won't start | Ensure `uv` is on PATH and runtime is 3.x |
| Proxy port conflict | `astro config set proxy.port <port>` |
| `.venv` corrupted | `astro dev kill` then `astro dev start --standalone` |

### Reset Environment

When things are broken:

```bash
astro dev kill
astro dev start
```

---

## Upgrade Airflow

### Test compatibility first

```bash
astro dev upgrade-test
```

### Change version

1. Edit `Dockerfile`:
   ```dockerfile
   FROM quay.io/astronomer/astro-runtime:13.0.0
   ```

2. Restart:
   ```bash
   astro dev kill && astro dev start
   ```

---

## Related Skills

- **setting-up-astro-project**: Initialize projects and configure dependencies
- **authoring-dags**: Write DAGs (uses MCP tools, requires running Airflow)
- **testing-dags**: Test DAGs (uses MCP tools, requires running Airflow)
- **deploying-airflow**: Deploy DAGs to production (Astro, Docker Compose, Kubernetes)

From astronomer/agents at 486ee63, shown as plain text under its license: Apache-2.0 (permissive). The license text is in LICENSE.

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