💡 Quick Answer: configuration

The Problem

This is one of the most searched Kubernetes topics with thousands of monthly searches. A comprehensive, production-ready guide prevents hours of trial and error.

The Solution

Pod Commands

# List pods
kubectl get pods                    # Current namespace
kubectl get pods -A                 # All namespaces
kubectl get pods -o wide            # Show node, IP
kubectl get pods -w                 # Watch for changes

# Create / Delete
kubectl run nginx --image=nginx:1.27
kubectl delete pod nginx
kubectl delete pod nginx --grace-period=0 --force

# Logs
kubectl logs my-pod
kubectl logs my-pod -c sidecar      # Specific container
kubectl logs my-pod --previous       # Previous crash
kubectl logs my-pod -f --tail=100    # Follow, last 100 lines
kubectl logs -l app=web              # By label

# Execute
kubectl exec -it my-pod -- bash
kubectl exec my-pod -- cat /etc/config/app.yaml

# Copy files
kubectl cp my-pod:/tmp/dump.sql ./dump.sql
kubectl cp ./config.yaml my-pod:/etc/config/

# Port forward
kubectl port-forward my-pod 8080:80
kubectl port-forward svc/my-service 8080:80

Deployment Commands

# Create
kubectl create deployment web --image=nginx --replicas=3

# Scale
kubectl scale deployment web --replicas=5

# Update image
kubectl set image deployment/web nginx=nginx:1.28

# Rollout
kubectl rollout status deployment/web
kubectl rollout history deployment/web
kubectl rollout undo deployment/web
kubectl rollout undo deployment/web --to-revision=2
kubectl rollout restart deployment/web

# Autoscale
kubectl autoscale deployment web --min=2 --max=10 --cpu-percent=80

Resource Management

# Get resources
kubectl get all                     # Pods, services, deployments
kubectl get nodes
kubectl get namespaces
kubectl get events --sort-by='.lastTimestamp'

# Describe (detailed info + events)
kubectl describe pod my-pod
kubectl describe node worker-1

# Delete
kubectl delete -f manifest.yaml
kubectl delete deployment,svc,cm -l app=web

# Apply / Diff
kubectl apply -f manifest.yaml
kubectl diff -f manifest.yaml       # Preview changes

# Resource usage
kubectl top nodes
kubectl top pods --sort-by=memory

Context & Config

# Switch namespace
kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=production

# Switch cluster
kubectl config use-context my-cluster

# View config
kubectl config view
kubectl config get-contexts
kubectl cluster-info

Advanced

# JSON path
kubectl get pods -o jsonpath='{.items[*].metadata.name}'
kubectl get nodes -o jsonpath='{range .items[*]}{.metadata.name}{"	"}{.status.addresses[0].address}{"
"}{end}'

# Custom columns
kubectl get pods -o custom-columns=NAME:.metadata.name,STATUS:.status.phase,NODE:.spec.nodeName

# Label operations
kubectl label pod my-pod env=prod
kubectl get pods -l env=prod,tier=frontend

# Auth check
kubectl auth can-i create deployments
kubectl auth can-i --list --as=system:serviceaccount:default:my-sa

# API resources
kubectl api-resources                # List all resource types
kubectl explain pod.spec.containers  # Documentation

graph TD
    A[kubectl] --> B[get - list resources]
    A --> C[describe - detailed info]
    A --> D[logs - container output]
    A --> E[exec - run commands]
    A --> F[apply - create/update]
    A --> G[delete - remove]
    A --> H[rollout - manage deployments]

Frequently Asked Questions

kubectl get vs describe?

get shows a summary table. describe shows full details including events, conditions, and related resources. Use describe when troubleshooting.

How to see all resources in a namespace?

kubectl get all -n my-namespace shows common resources. For everything: kubectl api-resources --verbs=list -o name | xargs -n1 kubectl get -n my-namespace --ignore-not-found

Best Practices

Start with the simplest configuration that solves your problem
Test in staging before production
Use kubectl describe and events for troubleshooting
Document team conventions for consistency

Key Takeaways

This is fundamental Kubernetes operational knowledge
Follow established conventions and recommended labels
Monitor and iterate based on real production behavior
Automate repetitive tasks to reduce human error

Essential Kubernetes Commands Reference