bash
kubectl get pods -n payments -o custom-columns=NAME:.metadata.name,PHASE:.status.phase,NODE:.spec.nodeName,IP:.status.podIPNotes
Render table output with selected fields.
Kubernetes Troubleshooting Cheat Sheet
Debugging, inspection, RBAC checks, rollout failures, node health, and maintenance-oriented kubectl workflows.
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Inspection and Deep Queries
Query cluster state efficiently.
bash
kubectl get deployment web -n payments -o jsonNotes
Dump a resource as JSON.
bash
kubectl get deployment web -n payments -o yamlNotes
Dump a resource as YAML.
bash
kubectl get pods -n payments --sort-by=.status.startTimeNotes
Sort list output by a JSONPath-like field.
bash
kubectl get pods -A --field-selector=status.phase!=RunningNotes
Filter server-side using field selectors.
bash
kubectl get pods -n payments -l 'app=web,component=api'Notes
Filter resources using labels.
bash
kubectl get pods -n payments --no-headersNotes
Suppress table headers for scripting.
bash
kubectl get pods -n payments -o nameNotes
Return resource identifiers only.
Debugging Pods and Containers
Interactive and ephemeral debugging workflows.
bash
kubectl debug node/worker-02 -it --image=busybox:1.36Notes
Launch a debugging pod on a node.
bash
kubectl debug web-abc123 -n payments --copy-to=web-debug --container=web -- shNotes
Create a debug copy of a pod.
Add ephemeral debug container
Inject an ephemeral debug container into a running pod.
bashANYdebugephemeral-container
bash
kubectl debug -it web-abc123 -n payments --image=nicolaka/netshoot --target=webNotes
Inject an ephemeral debug container into a running pod.
bash
kubectl auth can-i create deployments -n paymentsNotes
Ask the API server whether an action is allowed.
Check permission as another identity
Test RBAC from another subject's perspective.
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bash
kubectl auth can-i get secrets -n payments --as=system:serviceaccount:payments:webNotes
Test RBAC from another subject's perspective.
bash
kubectl get pod web-abc123 -n payments -o jsonpath='{range .status.conditions[*]}{.type}{"="}{.status}{"
"}{end}'Notes
Print pod condition states.
bash
kubectl describe pods -n payments -l app=workerNotes
Inspect all matching pods for failure clues.
Rollout and Scheduling Failures
Diagnose stuck updates and unschedulable pods.
bash
kubectl get pods -A --field-selector=status.phase=PendingNotes
Find pods waiting to schedule or start.
bash
kubectl describe pod pending-pod -n paymentsNotes
Look for failed scheduling and image pull events.
bash
kubectl get nodes -o custom-columns=NAME:.metadata.name,READY:.status.conditions[?(@.type=="Ready")].status,MEMORYPRESSURE:.status.conditions[?(@.type=="MemoryPressure")].status,DISKPRESSURE:.status.conditions[?(@.type=="DiskPressure")].statusNotes
Check high-level node health indicators.
bash
kubectl rollout pause deployment/web -n paymentsNotes
Temporarily pause a deployment rollout.
bash
kubectl rollout resume deployment/web -n paymentsNotes
Resume a paused deployment rollout.
bash
kubectl get pdb -ANotes
Show PodDisruptionBudgets.
Describe PodDisruptionBudget
Inspect disruption constraints that may block eviction.
bashANYpdbdescribe
bash
kubectl describe pdb web -n paymentsNotes
Inspect disruption constraints that may block eviction.
Cluster Maintenance and Cleanup
Bulk cleanup and namespace triage patterns.
bash
kubectl get pods -A --field-selector=status.phase=Failed | grep Evicted | awk '{print $1, $2}'Notes
Pattern to find evicted pods for cleanup.
bash
kubectl delete jobs -n ops --field-selector=status.successful=1Notes
Clean up successful Jobs when appropriate.
bash
kubectl get namespace stuck-ns -o jsonpath='{.spec.finalizers}'Notes
See whether finalizers are blocking deletion.
bash
kubectl get --raw='/healthz?verbose'Notes
Read API server health information.
bash
kubectl get --raw='/readyz?verbose'Notes
Read API server readiness information.
Get component statuses (legacy)
Legacy command seen on older clusters; modern clusters rely on health endpoints and metrics.
bashANYcomponentstatuseslegacy
bash
kubectl get componentstatusesNotes
Legacy command seen on older clusters; modern clusters rely on health endpoints and metrics.
More in Kubernetes
kubeadm Cheat Sheet
Bootstrap, join, cert, kubeconfig, reset, phase, image, and upgrade commands for kubeadm-managed clusters.
Kubernetes JSONPath and Kustomize Cheat Sheet
JSONPath recipes, custom output patterns, jq/yq workflows, and Kustomize commands supported by kubectl.
Kubernetes Networking, Storage, and Config Cheat Sheet
Services, ingress, EndpointSlices, network policies, PVCs, PVs, storage classes, ConfigMaps, Secrets, and nodes.
Kubernetes Workloads Cheat Sheet
Deployments, StatefulSets, DaemonSets, Jobs, CronJobs, autoscaling, rollouts, and workload maintenance.
Kubernetes & kubectl Cheat Sheet
Comprehensive kubectl commands for contexts, resources, apply flows, creation, deletion, logs, and cluster introspection.
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