Kubernetes Cheatsheet
Basic Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
kubectl get | List resources |
kubectl describe | Show detailed information about a resource |
kubectl create | Create a resource from a file or standard input |
kubectl apply | Apply a configuration to a resource |
kubectl delete | Delete resources |
kubectl exec | Execute a command in a container |
kubectl logs | Show logs for a container |
kubectl port-forward | Forward a local port to a port on a container |
kubectl proxy | Run a proxy to the Kubernetes API server |
kubectl version | Show client and server versions |
Resource Types
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
kubectl run | Run a container in a pod |
kubectl expose | Expose a deployment, service, or pod as a service |
kubectl scale | Scale a deployment or replicaset |
kubectl autoscale | Create an autoscaler for a deployment |
kubectl rollout | Manage a rollout of a deployment |
kubectl config | Modify kubeconfig files |
kubectl cluster-info | Display cluster information |
kubectl cordon | Mark a node as unschedulable |
kubectl drain | Drain a node in preparation for maintenance |
kubectl taint | Taint a node with a key/value pair |
Advanced Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
kubectl apply -f | Apply a configuration file |
kubectl exec -it | Execute a command in a container with a terminal session |
kubectl logs -f | Stream logs for a container |
kubectl port-forward | Forward a local port to a port on a container |
kubectl proxy | Run a proxy to the Kubernetes API server |
kubectl rollout status | Show the status of a rollout |
kubectl rollout history | Show the history of a rollout |
kubectl diff | Show differences between the running and desired state of a resource |
kubectl edit | Edit a resource in the default editor |
kubectl label | Add or remove labels from a resource |
kubectl annotate | Add or remove annotations from a resource |
kubectl apply --dry-run | Preview changes to a resource without applying them |
kubectl explain | Show documentation for a resource or field |
kubectl auth can-i | Check if the current user can perform a specific action on a resource |
Plugins
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
kubectl krew | Install and manage kubectl plugins |
kubectl tree | Show a resource hierarchy as a tree |
kubectl ctx | Switch between kubectl contexts |
kubectl ns | Switch between Kubernetes namespaces |
kubectl neat | Reformat resource YAML for readability |
kubectl view-secret | View Kubernetes secrets in a decoded format |
kubectl who-can | Show who can perform a specific action on a resource |
kubectl crd | Show custom resource definitions |
kubectl kustomize | Create a customized Kubernetes configuration from a base configuration and patches |
kubectl helm | Interact with Helm charts in a Kubernetes cluster |
Debugging and Troubleshooting
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
kubectl get events | Show cluster events |
kubectl describe pod | Show detailed information about a pod |
kubectl logs | Show logs for a container |
kubectl exec | Execute a command in a container |
kubectl debug | Debug a container with a new pod |
kubectl run --rm -it | Create a temporary pod for debugging purposes |
kubectl top | Show resource usage by pods or nodes |
kubectl port-forward | Forward a local port to a port on a container |
kubectl logs -f --previous | Stream logs from the previous container instance |