---
title: "Kubernetes Commands Cheatsheet | FindUtils"
description: "kubectl essentials: pods, deployments, services, secrets, scaling, debugging, and RBAC"
url: https://findutils.com/cheatsheets/kubernetes-commands/
---

# Kubernetes Commands Cheatsheet

kubectl essentials: pods, deployments, services, secrets, scaling, debugging, and RBAC 72 commands in 9 sections, filed under [DevOps & Cloud](https://findutils.com/cheatsheets/devops/).

## Cluster & Context

- `kubectl cluster-info`: Display cluster endpoint and services info
- `kubectl config view`: Show merged kubeconfig settings
- `kubectl config current-context`: Show the current context
- `kubectl config use-context <ctx>`: Switch to a different context
- `kubectl config get-contexts`: List all available contexts
- `kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=<ns>`: Set default namespace for current context
- `kubectl get nodes`: List all nodes in the cluster
- `kubectl get nodes -o wide`: List nodes with extra details (IP, OS, etc.)
- `kubectl api-resources`: List all supported resource types

## Pod Management

- `kubectl get pods`: List pods in current namespace
- `kubectl get pods -A`: List pods across all namespaces
- `kubectl get pods -o wide`: List pods with node and IP info
- `kubectl get pods -w`: Watch pods in real-time
- `kubectl describe pod <name>`: Show detailed info about a pod
- `kubectl run <name> --image=<img>`: Create and run a pod from an image
- `kubectl delete pod <name>`: Delete a specific pod
- `kubectl delete pod <name> --force --grace-period=0`: Force delete a stuck pod
- `kubectl exec -it <pod> -- bash`: Open shell in a running pod
- `kubectl cp <pod>:<path> <local>`: Copy files from pod to local machine

## Deployments

- `kubectl get deployments`: List all deployments
- `kubectl describe deployment <name>`: Show deployment details and events
- `kubectl create deployment <name> --image=<img>`: Create a deployment
- `kubectl set image deployment/<name> <ctr>=<img>:<tag>`: Update container image in deployment
- `kubectl rollout status deployment/<name>`: Watch rollout progress
- `kubectl rollout history deployment/<name>`: Show rollout revision history
- `kubectl rollout undo deployment/<name>`: Rollback to previous revision
- `kubectl rollout undo deployment/<name> --to-revision=<n>`: Rollback to specific revision
- `kubectl rollout restart deployment/<name>`: Restart all pods in deployment
- `kubectl delete deployment <name>`: Delete a deployment

## Services & Networking

- `kubectl get svc`: List all services
- `kubectl get svc -A`: List services across all namespaces
- `kubectl describe svc <name>`: Show service details and endpoints
- `kubectl expose deployment <name> --port=80 --type=LoadBalancer`: Expose deployment as a service
- `kubectl port-forward svc/<name> 8080:80`: Forward local port to service
- `kubectl port-forward pod/<name> 8080:80`: Forward local port to pod
- `kubectl get ingress`: List all ingress resources
- `kubectl get endpoints <svc>`: Show pod IPs behind a service

## ConfigMaps & Secrets

- `kubectl get configmaps`: List all ConfigMaps
- `kubectl create configmap <name> --from-file=<path>`: Create ConfigMap from file
- `kubectl create configmap <name> --from-literal=key=val`: Create ConfigMap from literal values
- `kubectl get secrets`: List all secrets
- `kubectl create secret generic <name> --from-literal=k=v`: Create a generic secret
- `kubectl create secret tls <name> --cert=tls.crt --key=tls.key`: Create a TLS secret
- `kubectl get secret <name> -o jsonpath="{.data.key}" | base64 -d`: Decode and view a secret value
- `kubectl describe configmap <name>`: Show ConfigMap contents and metadata

## Namespaces & RBAC

- `kubectl get namespaces`: List all namespaces
- `kubectl create namespace <name>`: Create a new namespace
- `kubectl delete namespace <name>`: Delete a namespace and all its resources
- `kubectl get all -n <namespace>`: List all resources in a namespace
- `kubectl get serviceaccounts`: List service accounts
- `kubectl auth can-i <verb> <resource>`: Check if current user can perform action
- `kubectl auth can-i --list`: List all permissions for current user

## Logs & Debugging

- `kubectl logs <pod>`: Show logs for a pod
- `kubectl logs <pod> -f`: Follow (stream) pod logs
- `kubectl logs <pod> -c <container>`: Show logs for specific container in pod
- `kubectl logs <pod> --previous`: Show logs from previous crashed container
- `kubectl logs -l app=<label>`: Show logs for all pods matching label
- `kubectl describe pod <name>`: Show events and status (debug crashes)
- `kubectl get events --sort-by=.metadata.creationTimestamp`: List cluster events sorted by time
- `kubectl top pods`: Show CPU/memory usage per pod
- `kubectl top nodes`: Show CPU/memory usage per node
- `kubectl debug <pod> -it --image=busybox`: Attach debug container to a pod

## Scaling & Apply

- `kubectl scale deployment/<name> --replicas=3`: Scale deployment to 3 replicas
- `kubectl autoscale deployment/<name> --min=2 --max=10 --cpu-percent=80`: Create HorizontalPodAutoscaler
- `kubectl get hpa`: List Horizontal Pod Autoscalers
- `kubectl apply -f <file.yaml>`: Apply config from YAML file
- `kubectl apply -f <directory>/`: Apply all YAML files in directory
- `kubectl diff -f <file.yaml>`: Preview changes before applying
- `kubectl delete -f <file.yaml>`: Delete resources defined in YAML file
- `kubectl get <resource> -o yaml`: Export resource definition as YAML
- `kubectl explain <resource>`: Show documentation for a resource type

## Sources

- `https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/kubectl/`: Kubernetes kubectl reference: resource operations, configuration, and generated command help.

## Related

- Cheatsheet: [Docker Commands](https://findutils.com/cheatsheets/docker-commands/)
- Cheatsheet: [Apache HTTP Server](https://findutils.com/cheatsheets/apache-server/)
- Cheatsheet: [Nginx Server](https://findutils.com/cheatsheets/nginx-server/)
- Guide: [Cron to systemd: Convert Crontab to Timers and CronJobs](https://findutils.com/guides/cron-to-systemd-guide/)
- Guide: [Cron Expression Generator: Build and Check Five-Field Schedules](https://findutils.com/guides/cron-expression-generator-guide/)
- Guide: [Yolobox Configurator: Generate AI Sandbox Configs in Seconds](https://findutils.com/guides/yolobox-ai-sandbox-configurator-guide/)
- Tool: [YAML Validator](https://findutils.com/developers/yaml-validator/)