Getting Help

Use the kitchen help for a quick reminder of what the kitchen command provides:

$ kitchen help
Commands:
  kitchen console                                 # Test Kitchen Console!
  kitchen converge [INSTANCE|REGEXP|all]          # Change instance state to converge. Use a provisioner to configure one or more instances
  kitchen create [INSTANCE|REGEXP|all]            # Change instance state to create. Start one or more instances
  kitchen destroy [INSTANCE|REGEXP|all]           # Change instance state to destroy. Delete all information for one or more instances
  kitchen diagnose [INSTANCE|REGEXP|all]          # Show computed diagnostic configuration
  kitchen doctor INSTANCE|REGEXP                  # Check for common system problems
  kitchen exec INSTANCE|REGEXP -c REMOTE_COMMAND  # Execute command on one or more instance
  kitchen help [COMMAND]                          # Describe available commands or one specific command
  kitchen init                                    # Adds some configuration to your cookbook so Kitchen can rock
  kitchen list [INSTANCE|REGEXP|all]              # Lists one or more instances
  kitchen login INSTANCE|REGEXP                   # Log in to one instance
  kitchen package INSTANCE|REGEXP                 # package an instance
  kitchen setup [INSTANCE|REGEXP|all]             # Change instance state to setup. Prepare to run automated tests. Install busser and related gems on one or more instances
  kitchen test [INSTANCE|REGEXP|all]              # Test (destroy, create, converge, setup, verify and destroy) one or more instances
  kitchen verify [INSTANCE|REGEXP|all]            # Change instance state to verify. Run automated tests on one or more instances
  kitchen version                                 # Print Test Kitchen's version information

For more detailed help on a given subcommand, add it to end of the help subcommand. Let’s take a look at the useful kitchen diagnose subcommand. This particular command is helpful when trying to visualize the layers of Test Kitchen configuration and troubleshoot.

$ kitchen help diagnose
Usage:
  kitchen diagnose [INSTANCE|REGEXP|all]

Options:
      [--loader], [--no-loader]                # Include data loader diagnostics
      [--plugins], [--no-plugins]              # Include plugin diagnostics
      [--instances], [--no-instances]          # Include instances diagnostics
                                               # Default: true
      [--all], [--no-all]                      # Include all diagnostics
  -l, [--log-level=LOG_LEVEL]                  # Set the log level (debug, info, warn, error, fatal)
      [--log-overwrite], [--no-log-overwrite]  # Set to false to prevent log overwriting each time Test Kitchen runs
      [--color], [--no-color]                  # Toggle color output for STDOUT logger
  -t, [--test-base-path=TEST_BASE_PATH]        # Set the base path of the tests

Show computed diagnostic configuration

Remember, you can also ask for assistance in the Chef Community Slack #test-kitchen channel where community members can help answer questions.