Flow creation fails with "failed to get primary docker image: network error: failed to reach API server" even though OpenAI API works

[lockens]

Problem

Creating a new flow fails with:

failed to get primary docker image: network error: failed to reach API server

The flow is written to the database but the worker container never starts.

---

Environment

PentAGI: 1.1.0-e97bbe5
Host: Kali Linux
Docker: 27.5.1
Install method: docker-compose

---

OpenAI connectivity test

OpenAI API is reachable from both the main container and worker containers.

Example test from container:

wget -S -qO- --header="Authorization: Bearer $OPEN_AI_KEY" https://api.openai.com/v1/models

Result:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK

---

Configuration

.env

OPEN_AI_KEY=***
OPEN_AI_SERVER_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1

LLM_SERVER_PROVIDER=openai
LLM_SERVER_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini
LLM_SERVER_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1
LLM_SERVER_KEY=***

DOCKER_ENV_LLM_SERVER_PROVIDER=openai
DOCKER_ENV_LLM_SERVER_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini
DOCKER_ENV_LLM_SERVER_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1
DOCKER_ENV_LLM_SERVER_KEY=***

---

Logs

flow created in DB flow_id=11 provider_name=openai provider_type=openai

failed to get flow provider
error="failed to get primary docker image: network error: failed to reach API server"

graphql request handled with errors
createAssistant failed to create flow worker

---

Observation

Worker containers start but environment variables appear empty:

LLM_SERVER_URL=
LLM_SERVER_MODEL=
LLM_SERVER_PROVIDER=
LLM_SERVER_KEY=

Even though they are correctly set in the main container.

---

Question

Is this related to the automatic Docker image selection step, or is there additional configuration required for worker containers to inherit LLM_SERVER_* variables?

[lockens]

Additional debug information.

PentAGI logs

service ssl crt and key already exist
time="2026-03-12T22:43:27Z" level=info msg="Starting PentAGI 1.1.0-e97bbe5"
2026/03/12 22:43:27 goose: no migrations to run. current version: 20260223
2026/03/12 22:43:27 Migrations ran successfully

time="2026-03-12T22:43:55Z" level=info msg="flow created in DB" flow_id=9 provider_name=openai provider_type=openai user_id=1
time="2026-03-12T22:43:55Z" level=error msg="failed to get flow provider" error="failed to get primary docker image: network error: failed to reach API server"
time="2026-03-12T22:43:55Z" level=error msg="graphql request handled with errors" component=pentagi-gql duration=21.352083ms gql.errors="input: createFlow failed to create flow worker: failed to get flow provider: failed to get primary docker image: network error: failed to reach API server\n" operation_name=createFlow operation_type=mutation

time="2026-03-12T22:44:15Z" level=info msg="flow created in DB" flow_id=10 provider_name=openai provider_type=openai user_id=1
time="2026-03-12T22:44:15Z" level=error msg="failed to get flow provider" error="failed to get primary docker image: network error: failed to reach API server"
time="2026-03-12T22:44:15Z" level=error msg="graphql request handled with errors" component=pentagi-gql duration=5.593065ms gql.errors="input: createAssistant failed to create flow worker: failed to get flow provider: failed to get primary docker image: network error: failed to reach API server\n" operation_name=createAssistant operation_type=mutation

time="2026-03-12T22:46:52Z" level=info msg="flow created in DB" flow_id=11 provider_name=openai provider_type=openai user_id=1
time="2026-03-12T22:46:52Z" level=error msg="failed to get flow provider" error="failed to get primary docker image: network error: failed to reach API server"
time="2026-03-12T22:46:52Z" level=error msg="graphql request handled with errors" component=pentagi-gql duration=26.727557ms gql.errors="input: createAssistant failed to create flow worker: failed to get flow provider: failed to get primary docker image: network error: failed to reach API server\n" operation_name=createAssistant operation_type=mutation

Relevant env values:

LLM_SERVER_PROVIDER=openai
LLM_SERVER_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini
LLM_SERVER_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1
LLM_SERVER_KEY=***REDACTED***
OPEN_AI_KEY=***REDACTED***
OPEN_AI_SERVER_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1

DOCKER_ENV_LLM_SERVER_PROVIDER=openai
DOCKER_ENV_LLM_SERVER_MODEL=gpt-4o-mini
DOCKER_ENV_LLM_SERVER_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1
DOCKER_ENV_LLM_SERVER_KEY=***REDACTED***

DOCKER_NETWORK=
DOCKER_DEFAULT_IMAGE=
DOCKER_DEFAULT_IMAGE_FOR_PENTEST=


langfuse-network
observability-network
pentagi-network

OPEN_AI_KEY=***REDACTED***
OPEN_AI_SERVER_URL=https://api.openai.com/v1

LLM_SERVER_URL=
LLM_SERVER_MODEL=
LLM_SERVER_PROVIDER=
LLM_SERVER_KEY=

LLM_SERVER_CONFIG_PATH=
LLM_SERVER_LEGACY_REASONING=
LLM_SERVER_PRESERVE_REASONING=

The main PentAGI container has the correct LLM_SERVER_* and DOCKER_ENV_LLM_SERVER_* values set.

However, the worker/run container starts with OPEN_AI_KEY present but all LLM_SERVER_* values empty.

This seems to match the flow creation failure:
failed to get primary docker image: network error: failed to reach API server

```markdown
I can also confirm that OpenAI is reachable from the run container with a direct authenticated request to `https://api.openai.com/v1/models` returning HTTP 200.