# kubectl Cheat Sheet: Install and Essential Commands for Kubernetes

> Install kubectl, manage contexts and namespaces and use the commands you need every day to create, inspect, debug, scale and delete Kubernetes resources.

- Source: https://www.itwonderlab.com/kubectl-cheat-sheet/
- Published: 2026-09-07
- Updated: 2026-09-07
- Author: Javier Ruiz Jiménez (https://www.javierruizjimenez.com/)
- Site: IT Wonder Lab (https://www.itwonderlab.com/)

---

## What is kubectl

[kubectl](https://www.itwonderlab.com/kubectl/) is the command line client of [Kubernetes](https://www.itwonderlab.com/kubernetes/). It reads the cluster address and credentials from `~/.kube/config` and sends your requests to the API server.

## Install

```bash
curl -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/$(curl -L -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt)/bin/linux/amd64/kubectl"
sudo install -o root -g root -m 0755 kubectl /usr/local/bin/kubectl
kubectl version --client
```

On macOS use `brew install kubectl`. [Rancher Desktop](https://www.itwonderlab.com/rancher-desktop/) and [K3s](https://www.itwonderlab.com/install-kubernetes-k3s/) provide one already. Keep kubectl within one minor version of the cluster.

## Contexts and namespaces

```bash
kubectl config get-contexts
kubectl config use-context rancher-desktop
kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=dev
kubectl get ns
```

A mistake in the wrong context is the most common accident: check the current context before deleting anything.

## Look at resources

```bash
kubectl get pods                      # -A for all namespaces, -o wide for nodes and IPs
kubectl get deploy,svc,ing
kubectl get pod web-1 -o yaml
kubectl describe pod web-1            # events at the end explain most failures
kubectl get events --sort-by=.lastTimestamp
kubectl top pods                      # needs metrics-server
```

## Create and change

```bash
kubectl apply -f app.yaml             # create or update (use this)
kubectl apply -f ./manifests/ -R
kubectl create deployment web --image=nginx:stable --replicas=2
kubectl expose deployment web --port=80 --type=NodePort
kubectl scale deployment web --replicas=5
kubectl set image deployment/web nginx=nginx:1.27
kubectl rollout status deployment/web
kubectl rollout undo deployment/web
kubectl delete -f app.yaml
```

Add `--dry-run=client -o yaml` to any `create` command to generate a manifest without creating anything.

## Debug

```bash
kubectl logs web-1 -f --tail=100      # --previous after a crash, -c for a container
kubectl exec -it web-1 -- sh
kubectl port-forward svc/web 8080:80  # reach a service from your machine
kubectl run tmp --rm -it --image=busybox -- sh
kubectl debug -it web-1 --image=busybox --target=nginx
```

Typical states: `ImagePullBackOff` (wrong image name or no registry access), `CrashLoopBackOff` (the container exits: read the logs), `Pending` (not enough resources or an unbound volume: read `describe`).

## Output tricks

```bash
kubectl get pods -o jsonpath='{.items[*].metadata.name}'
kubectl get pods -l app=web
kubectl get pods --field-selector=status.phase=Running
kubectl api-resources
kubectl explain deployment.spec.strategy
```

## Productivity

```bash
alias k=kubectl
source <(kubectl completion bash)
complete -o default -F __start_kubectl k
```

## Next steps

Install the web interface with [the Kubernetes Dashboard](https://www.itwonderlab.com/installating-kubernetes-dashboard/), package applications with [Helm](https://www.itwonderlab.com/install-kubernetes-helm/) and deliver them with [Argo CD](https://www.itwonderlab.com/argocd-gitops-kubernetes/).