| name | kubectl |
| description | Kubernetes CLI - manage pods, deployments, services, config contexts. Use when user mentions 'kubectl', 'kubernetes', 'k8s', 'pods', or wants to manage Kubernetes clusters. |
| category | devtools |
| install_command | brew install kubectl |
kubectl
Setup
brew install kubectl
Verify installation:
kubectl version --client
Use -o json or -o yaml for machine-readable output.
Authentication
kubectl config use-context <context-name>
Resources
Viewing Resources
| Command | Description |
|---|
kubectl get pods | List all pods in current namespace |
kubectl get pods -A | List pods across all namespaces |
kubectl get pods -o wide | List pods with additional details |
kubectl get services | List all services |
kubectl get deployments | List all deployments |
kubectl get nodes | List cluster nodes |
kubectl get namespaces | List all namespaces |
kubectl get all | List all resources in current namespace |
kubectl get ingress | List all ingress resources |
kubectl get configmaps | List all config maps |
kubectl get secrets | List all secrets |
Describing Resources
| Command | Description |
|---|
kubectl describe pod <name> | Show detailed pod info |
kubectl describe service <name> | Show detailed service info |
kubectl describe deployment <name> | Show detailed deployment info |
kubectl describe node <name> | Show detailed node info |
Creating and Applying
| Command | Description |
|---|
kubectl apply -f <file.yaml> | Apply a configuration from file |
kubectl apply -f <directory>/ | Apply all configs from a directory |
kubectl apply -k <directory>/ | Apply a kustomize configuration |
kubectl create namespace <name> | Create a namespace |
kubectl create secret generic <name> --from-literal=key=value | Create a secret |
Deleting Resources
| Command | Description |
|---|
kubectl delete pod <name> | Delete a pod |
kubectl delete -f <file.yaml> | Delete resources defined in file |
kubectl delete deployment <name> | Delete a deployment |
kubectl delete namespace <name> | Delete a namespace and all its resources |
Logs and Debugging
| Command | Description |
|---|
kubectl logs <pod> | View pod logs |
kubectl logs -f <pod> | Follow pod logs |
kubectl logs <pod> -c <container> | View logs for a specific container |
kubectl logs --tail=100 <pod> | View last 100 lines of logs |
kubectl exec -it <pod> -- bash | Open a shell in a pod |
kubectl exec <pod> -- <command> | Run a command in a pod |
kubectl port-forward <pod> 8080:80 | Forward local port to pod |
kubectl port-forward svc/<service> 8080:80 | Forward local port to service |
Scaling and Rollouts
| Command | Description |
|---|
kubectl scale deployment <name> --replicas=3 | Scale a deployment |
kubectl rollout status deployment <name> | Check rollout status |
kubectl rollout history deployment <name> | View rollout history |
kubectl rollout undo deployment <name> | Rollback to previous revision |
kubectl rollout restart deployment <name> | Restart a deployment |
Context and Config
| Command | Description |
|---|
kubectl config get-contexts | List all contexts |
kubectl config current-context | Show current context |
kubectl config use-context <name> | Switch to a context |
kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=<ns> | Set default namespace for current context |
Global Flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|
-n <namespace> | Specify namespace |
-o json | Output as JSON |
-o yaml | Output as YAML |
-o wide | Output with additional info |
--dry-run=client | Preview without applying |
-l <key>=<value> | Filter by label |
--all-namespaces or -A | Across all namespaces |
