Basic kubectl Commands: Your First Step to Mastering Kubernetes#
If you want to work with Kubernetes, learning kubectl is non-negotiable.
kubectl is the command-line tool that lets you manage and inspect every part of your Kubernetes cluster — from Pods to Nodes, Deployments to Services.
In this post, we’ll walk through the most important kubectl commands you need to know as a beginner, along with practical examples and real use cases.
Table of Contents#
1. kubectl Syntax Overview#
The basic format of a kubectl command is:
1
2
|
kubectl \[command] \[resource] \[name] \[flags]
|
| Part | Description |
|---|
| command | Action to perform (get, describe, apply) |
| resource | Type of object (pod, svc, deployment) |
| name | Name of specific object (optional) |
| flags | Extra options (e.g. -n, -o, --watch) |
Example#
1
2
3
| kubectl get pods
kubectl describe node my-node
kubectl delete pod nginx-pod
|
2. Viewing Cluster State#
1) Check Node Status#
Returns a list of nodes in your cluster and their health:
1
2
3
| NAME STATUS ROLES AGE VERSION
master Ready control-plane 10d v1.29.0
worker-01 Ready <none> 10d v1.29.0
|
1
2
| kubectl get pods
kubectl get pods -A # All namespaces
|
Shows Service names, IPs, types (ClusterIP, NodePort, etc.)
1
| kubectl get deployments
|
Check how many replicas are running and whether updates are complete.
1) Describe Resource#
1
2
| kubectl describe pod my-pod
kubectl describe node my-node
|
This shows detailed info like labels, events, environment variables, and logs.
1
| kubectl get pod my-pod -o yaml
|
See the full manifest as Kubernetes understands it — great for debugging.
4. Creating Resources#
1) Apply from YAML File#
1
| kubectl apply -f deployment.yaml
|
Most real-world deployments are done this way — declarative, repeatable.
1
| kubectl run nginx --image=nginx
|
Quick way to create a single Pod — good for testing.
5. Editing Resources#
1) Edit Live Resource#
1
| kubectl edit deployment my-deploy
|
This opens the resource’s YAML in your default editor (e.g. Vim).
1
| kubectl apply -f updated-deployment.yaml
|
Use this to update Deployments, Services, or other resources declaratively.
6. Deleting Resources#
1
2
| kubectl delete pod my-pod
kubectl delete -f deployment.yaml
|
Delete by name or from a YAML file.
7. Real-Time Monitoring#
1) Watch Resource Changes#
1
| kubectl get pods --watch
|
Live updates as Pods start/stop.
If your Pod has multiple containers:
1
| kubectl logs my-pod -c my-container
|
8. Working with Namespaces#
Get resources in a namespace#
1
| kubectl get pods -n my-namespace
|
Create a namespace#
1
| kubectl create namespace dev
|
Set default namespace#
1
| kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=dev
|
9. Enable Autocomplete (Optional)#
1
| source <(kubectl completion bash)
|
You can also add this to .bashrc or .zshrc.
10. kubectl Cheatsheet (Summary)#
| Task | Command |
|---|
| Check nodes | kubectl get nodes |
| List pods | kubectl get pods |
| View service | kubectl get svc |
| View YAML | kubectl get pod nginx -o yaml |
| Describe resources | kubectl describe pod nginx |
| Apply YAML | kubectl apply -f file.yaml |
| Edit live resource | kubectl edit deployment my-app |
| Delete resource | kubectl delete pod nginx |
| Watch for changes | kubectl get pods --watch |
| View logs | kubectl logs my-pod |
| Use namespace | kubectl get pods -n dev |
| Set default namespace | kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=dev |
Final Thoughts#
kubectl is the gateway to mastering Kubernetes.
Whether you’re deploying apps, debugging Pods, or scaling services — it all happens through kubectl.
By learning these basic commands, you’re laying the groundwork for more advanced Kubernetes workflows.