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kubectl Cheatsheet

Pods, deployments, services, debugging, and cluster management

Context & Cluster

kubectl config get-contexts              # list all contexts
kubectl config current-context            # current context
kubectl config use-context my-cluster     # switch context
kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=dev  # set default namespace
kubectl cluster-info                      # cluster info
kubectl get nodes                         # list nodes
kubectl get nodes -o wide                 # with IPs and OS info

Pods

kubectl get pods                          # list pods (current namespace)
kubectl get pods -n kube-system           # list in namespace
kubectl get pods -A                       # list all namespaces
kubectl get pods -o wide                  # with node and IP
kubectl get pod mypod -o yaml             # full pod spec
kubectl describe pod mypod                # events and details
kubectl logs mypod                        # pod logs
kubectl logs mypod -c container-name      # specific container
kubectl logs mypod -f                     # follow (tail -f)
kubectl logs mypod --previous             # logs from crashed container
kubectl exec -it mypod -- bash            # shell into pod
kubectl exec mypod -- env                 # run command in pod
kubectl delete pod mypod                  # delete pod
kubectl delete pod mypod --force          # force delete (stuck pods)

Deployments

kubectl get deployments
kubectl describe deployment myapp
kubectl create deployment myapp --image=myimage:1.0
kubectl scale deployment myapp --replicas=3
kubectl set image deployment/myapp app=myimage:2.0   # update image
kubectl rollout status deployment/myapp              # watch rollout
kubectl rollout history deployment/myapp             # revision history
kubectl rollout undo deployment/myapp                # rollback
kubectl rollout undo deployment/myapp --to-revision=2
kubectl edit deployment myapp                        # live edit

Services

kubectl get services
kubectl describe service myapp
kubectl expose deployment myapp --port=80 --target-port=8080
kubectl port-forward svc/myapp 8080:80     # local port forward
kubectl port-forward pod/mypod 8080:8080   # forward to pod
kubectl delete service myapp

ConfigMaps & Secrets

# ConfigMap
kubectl create configmap myconfig --from-literal=KEY=value
kubectl create configmap myconfig --from-file=config.yaml
kubectl get configmap myconfig -o yaml
kubectl delete configmap myconfig

# Secret
kubectl create secret generic mysecret --from-literal=password=s3cr3t
kubectl create secret generic mysecret --from-file=.dockerconfigjson
kubectl get secret mysecret -o jsonpath='{.data.password}' | base64 -d
kubectl delete secret mysecret

Namespaces

kubectl get namespaces
kubectl create namespace staging
kubectl delete namespace staging
# Run command in specific namespace
kubectl get pods -n staging
# Set default namespace for session
kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=staging

Debugging

# Events (most useful first stop for debugging)
kubectl get events --sort-by='.lastTimestamp'
kubectl get events -n mynamespace

# Resource usage
kubectl top pods
kubectl top nodes

# Debug with ephemeral container (k8s 1.23+)
kubectl debug -it mypod --image=busybox --target=mycontainer

# Copy files to/from pod
kubectl cp mypod:/app/log.txt ./log.txt
kubectl cp ./config.yaml mypod:/app/config.yaml

# Apply and dry-run
kubectl apply -f manifest.yaml --dry-run=client
kubectl diff -f manifest.yaml

Apply & Delete

kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml         # apply manifest
kubectl apply -f ./k8s/                  # apply directory
kubectl apply -k ./kustomize/            # apply kustomize dir
kubectl delete -f deployment.yaml        # delete from manifest
kubectl replace -f deployment.yaml       # replace (not patch)
kubectl patch deployment myapp -p '{"spec":{"replicas":5}}'

Labels & Selectors

kubectl get pods -l app=myapp            # filter by label
kubectl get pods -l 'env in (prod,staging)'
kubectl label pod mypod tier=frontend    # add label
kubectl label pod mypod tier-            # remove label
kubectl annotate pod mypod note="debug"  # add annotation

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Context & Cluster

kubectl config get-contexts # list all contexts kubectl config current-context # current context kubectl config use-context my-cluster # switch context kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=dev # set default namespace kubectl cluster-info # cluster info kubectl get nodes # list nodes kubectl get nodes -o wide # with IPs and OS info

Pods

kubectl get pods # list pods (current namespace) kubectl get pods -n kube-system # list in namespace kubectl get pods -A # list all namespaces kubectl get pods -o wide # with node and IP kubectl get pod mypod -o yaml # full pod spec kubectl describe pod mypod # events and details kubectl logs mypod # pod logs kubectl logs mypod -c container-name # specific container kubectl logs mypod -f # follow (tail -f) kubectl logs mypod --previous # logs from crashed container kubectl exec -it mypod -- bash # shell into pod kubectl exec mypod -- env # run command in pod kubectl delete pod mypod # delete pod kubectl delete pod mypod --force # force delete (stuck pods)

Deployments

kubectl get deployments kubectl describe deployment myapp kubectl create deployment myapp --image=myimage:1.0 kubectl scale deployment myapp --replicas=3 kubectl set image deployment/myapp app=myimage:2.0 # update image kubectl rollout status deployment/myapp # watch rollout kubectl rollout history deployment/myapp # revision history kubectl rollout undo deployment/myapp # rollback kubectl rollout undo deployment/myapp --to-revision=2 kubectl edit deployment myapp # live edit

kubectl get services kubectl describe service myapp kubectl expose deployment myapp --port=80 --target-port=8080 kubectl port-forward svc/myapp 8080:80 # local port forward kubectl port-forward pod/mypod 8080:8080 # forward to pod kubectl delete service myapp

ConfigMaps & Secrets

# ConfigMap kubectl create configmap myconfig --from-literal=KEY=value kubectl create configmap myconfig --from-file=config.yaml kubectl get configmap myconfig -o yaml kubectl delete configmap myconfig # Secret kubectl create secret generic mysecret --from-literal=password=s3cr3t kubectl create secret generic mysecret --from-file=.dockerconfigjson kubectl get secret mysecret -o jsonpath='{.data.password}' | base64 -d kubectl delete secret mysecret

kubectl get namespaces kubectl create namespace staging kubectl delete namespace staging # Run command in specific namespace kubectl get pods -n staging # Set default namespace for session kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=staging

Debugging

# Events (most useful first stop for debugging) kubectl get events --sort-by='.lastTimestamp' kubectl get events -n mynamespace # Resource usage kubectl top pods kubectl top nodes # Debug with ephemeral container (k8s 1.23+) kubectl debug -it mypod --image=busybox --target=mycontainer # Copy files to/from pod kubectl cp mypod:/app/log.txt ./log.txt kubectl cp ./config.yaml mypod:/app/config.yaml # Apply and dry-run kubectl apply -f manifest.yaml --dry-run=client kubectl diff -f manifest.yaml

Apply & Delete

kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml # apply manifest kubectl apply -f ./k8s/ # apply directory kubectl apply -k ./kustomize/ # apply kustomize dir kubectl delete -f deployment.yaml # delete from manifest kubectl replace -f deployment.yaml # replace (not patch) kubectl patch deployment myapp -p '{"spec":{"replicas":5}}'

kubectl get pods -l app=myapp # filter by label kubectl get pods -l 'env in (prod,staging)' kubectl label pod mypod tier=frontend # add label kubectl label pod mypod tier- # remove label kubectl annotate pod mypod note="debug" # add annotation