Kubernetes, an open-source platform for automating the deployment, scaling, and operation of application containers, has become a fundamental tool for modern software development.
Here are some of the top Kubernetes commands every developer should know, along with comments explaining their usage:

1.kubectl get

Thekubectl get command is essential for retrieving information about Kubernetes resources. It allows you to list various resources such aspods,nodes,services,deployments, etc.

• Examples:

# List all pods in the current namespacekubectl get pods# List all services in the current namespacekubectl get services# List all nodes in the clusterkubectl get nodes# List all deployments in the current namespacekubectl get deployments

2.kubectl describe

Thekubectl describe command provides detailed information about a specific resource. This is useful for debugging and understanding the state and events of a resource.

• Examples:

# Show detailed information about a specific podkubectl describe pod <pod-name># Show detailed information about a specific servicekubectl describe service <service-name># Show detailed information about a specific nodekubectl describe node <node-name># Show detailed information about a specific deploymentkubectl describe deployment <deployment-name>

3.kubectl logs

Thekubectl logs command fetches the logs of a specific pod or container. This is crucial for debugging application issues.

• Examples:

# Retrieve the logs from a specific podkubectl logs <pod-name># Retrieve the logs from a specific container in a podkubectl logs <pod-name>-c <container-name># Retrieve the logs from the previous instance of a container in a podkubectl logs <pod-name>-c <container-name>--previous# Retrieve logs from the last 5 minuteskubectl logs <pod-name>--since=5m

4.kubectl exec

Thekubectl exec command allows you to execute commands inside a container. This is particularly useful for debugging and inspecting the state of your application from within the container.

• Examples:

# Start an interactive shell session in a specific podkubectlexec-it <pod-name>-- /bin/bash# Execute a specific command in a specific podkubectlexec-it <pod-name>-- <command>

5.kubectl apply

Thekubectl apply command applies changes to a resource by filename or stdin. It's commonly used to create or update resources defined in YAML or JSON files.

• Examples:

# Apply changes from a specific YAML filekubectl apply-f <filename.yaml># Apply changes from all YAML files in a directorykubectl apply-f <directory-with-yaml-files>

6.kubectl delete

Thekubectl delete command removes resources from your cluster. It's essential for cleaning up resources that are no longer needed.

• Examples:

# Delete a specific podkubectl delete pod <pod-name># Delete a specific servicekubectl delete service <service-name># Delete a specific deploymentkubectl delete deployment <deployment-name># Delete resources defined in a specific YAML filekubectl delete-f <filename.yaml>

7.kubectl scale

Thekubectl scale command adjusts the number of replicas for a deployment, replication controller, or replica set. This is useful for scaling your application up or down.

• Examples:

# Scale a deployment to a specific number of replicaskubectl scale--replicas=<number> deployment/<deployment-name>

8.kubectl rollout

Thekubectl rollout command manages the rollout of a resource. It can be used toview,pause,resume, andundo deployments.

• Examples:

# Check the status of a deployment rolloutkubectl rollout status deployment/<deployment-name># View the rollout history of a deploymentkubectl rollouthistorydeployment/<deployment-name># Undo the last rollout of a deploymentkubectl rollout undo deployment/<deployment-name>

9.kubectl port-forward

Thekubectl port-forward command forwards one or more local ports to a pod. This is helpful for accessing a service running in a pod from your local machine.

• Examples:

# Forward a local port to a port on a specific podkubectl port-forward pod/<pod-name> <local-port>:<pod-port>

10.kubectl config

Thekubectl config command manageskubeconfig files. It can set context, display the current context, and modify configuration settings.

• Examples:

# View the current kubeconfig settingskubectl config view# List all contexts in the kubeconfig filekubectl config get-contexts# Switch to a specific contextkubectl config use-context <context-name>

Conclusion

Mastering these Kubernetes commands will significantly improve your efficiency and effectiveness as a developer. Whether you're managing deployments, debugging issues, or scaling applications, these commands provide the foundation you need to work confidently with Kubernetes.