Description

Upstream Issue: https://github.com/tektoncd/pipeline/issues/9144

When a TaskRun Pod cannot start due to misconfiguration (e.g., missing ConfigMap), the TaskRun times out silently without indicating that the Pod failed to start. The timeout message is generic and doesn't help users debug the actual problem.

Expected Behavior

A TaskRun with a Pod that cannot start should either:

• Fail early with a clear error message, OR
• When it times out, the "Succeeded" failed condition should indicate the Pod startup issue

Example: TaskRun "configmap-4qrgb" failed to finish within "1m0s": pod status "PodReadyToStartContainers":"False"

Actual Behavior

The failed condition only shows: TaskRun "my-taskrun" failed to finish within "$timeout"

No indication that the Pod couldn't start, making debugging difficult.

Impact

• Users waste time debugging generic timeout messages
• Root cause (pod configuration issues) is hidden
• Poor user experience, especially for new users

Reproduction

TaskRuns with misconfigured pods (missing ConfigMaps, Secrets, etc.) that remain in "Pending" state and timeout without clear error messages.

Environment

• Tekton Pipelines: v1.4.0+
• Kubernetes: v1.30+