How do I follow logs from a crashing pod?

Use kubectl logs -f POD to stream live logs. If the container already crashed and restarted, add --previous to read the logs from the prior instance, which usually contains the crash cause.

What is the difference between apply and create?

kubectl apply is declarative: it creates resources that do not exist and patches ones that do, tracking the desired state. kubectl create is imperative and fails if the object already exists. Prefer apply for GitOps-style workflows.

How do I roll back a bad deployment?

Run kubectl rollout undo deploy/NAME to revert to the previous revision. Use kubectl rollout history deploy/NAME first to inspect revisions, and rollout status to watch the rollback complete.

How do I run a shell inside a pod?

Use kubectl exec -it POD -- sh (or bash if available). The -it flags attach stdin and a TTY. For a multi-container pod add -c CONTAINER to choose which container to enter.

How do I change my default namespace?

Run kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=NS. This avoids typing -n on every command. Use kubectl config get-contexts to see your current context and namespace.

What is the kubectl Cheatsheet?

Searchable kubectl cheatsheet covering get, describe, apply, delete, exec, logs, rollout, scale and config commands — each with the real flags, a plain-English explanation and a copy button. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

kubectl Cheatsheet — Gera Tools

Name: kubectl Cheatsheet
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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A fast kubectl reference

kubectl is the command-line client for the Kubernetes API server. This cheatsheet groups the commands you reach for daily — inspecting, applying, debugging and rolling out workloads — with the real flags and a one-line explanation. Filter by verb, search for a keyword, and copy the command straight to your clipboard.

How it works

Every kubectl command is a structured call to the cluster’s REST API. The first word after kubectl is the verb (get, describe, apply, delete, logs, exec, rollout, scale, config), followed by a resource type and name, then flags that shape the request and output.

Output flags are especially useful: -o wide adds columns, -o yaml dumps the full live object, and -o jsonpath='{...}' extracts a single field. Selectors with -l key=value operate on every matching object at once. The cheatsheet’s group filter maps directly to these verbs so you can scan one category at a time.

Most-reached-for commands

Inspecting workloads

kubectl get pods -n NAMESPACE            # List pods in a namespace
kubectl get pods -A                      # All pods across all namespaces
kubectl describe pod POD -n NAMESPACE    # Full pod detail including events
kubectl get events --sort-by=.lastTimestamp -n NAMESPACE  # Chronological events

Logs and debugging

kubectl logs POD                         # Current container logs
kubectl logs POD -f                      # Follow (stream) logs
kubectl logs POD --previous              # Logs from the prior crashed container
kubectl exec -it POD -- sh               # Interactive shell inside a pod
kubectl exec -it POD -c CONTAINER -- sh  # Shell into a specific container

Applying and deleting

kubectl apply -f manifest.yaml           # Create or update from a file
kubectl diff -f manifest.yaml            # Preview what would change
kubectl apply -f manifest.yaml --dry-run=server  # Validate without applying
kubectl delete -f manifest.yaml          # Delete resources from a file

Rollouts and scaling

kubectl rollout status deploy/NAME       # Watch a rollout complete
kubectl rollout history deploy/NAME      # See revision history
kubectl rollout undo deploy/NAME         # Revert to previous revision
kubectl scale deploy/NAME --replicas=3   # Set replica count directly

Context and namespace

kubectl config get-contexts              # List all contexts
kubectl config use-context CONTEXT       # Switch cluster/context
kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=NS  # Set default namespace

Tips and examples

Watch resources change in real time with -w, for example kubectl get pods -w while a rollout proceeds.
Debug failures by combining describe and events:

kubectl describe pod my-pod
kubectl get events --sort-by=.lastTimestamp

Set short aliases for speed: many engineers alias k to kubectl and use kgp for kubectl get pods.
Always validate before applying to production with kubectl diff -f manifest.yaml and kubectl apply -f manifest.yaml --dry-run=server.
Placeholders like POD, NAME, NS and deploy/NAME in the copied commands should be replaced with your real resource names.