What is kubectl?

Learn that kubectl is the Kubernetes CLI.

What is kubectl?

kubectl is the command-line tool that sends requests to the Kubernetes API. Commands usually have the form kubectl VERB RESOURCE [NAME] [flags]:

kubectl get pods
kubectl describe deployment web
kubectl delete service web
kubectl logs pod/web-7c5b9f6d8-abcde

Resource types have abbreviations: po (pods), deploy (deployments), svc (services), ns (namespaces), cm (configmaps).

kubeconfig and context

kubectl reads which cluster to connect to and with which user from the ~/.kube/config file (kubeconfig). Several contexts (cluster + user + namespace) can be kept in the file:

$ kubectl config get-contexts
CURRENT   NAME       CLUSTER    AUTHINFO   NAMESPACE
*         minikube   minikube   minikube   default
          uretim     uretim     ali
$ kubectl config use-context uretim
$ kubectl config current-context
uretim

Exercise Which cluster are you on?

Write three commands: list the contexts; switch to the minikube context; print the active context.

Show example solution

kubectl config get-contexts
kubectl config use-context minikube
kubectl config current-context

Test yourself

What does kubectl get svc list?
- ServiceAccounts
- Servers
- Services
- Secrets
Show answer

Services — kubectl api-resources lists all types and their abbreviations.

Change the active context.

kubectl config ____ minikube

Show answer

kubectl config use-context minikube

Match the abbreviations.

po

pods
deploy

deployments
svc

services
cm

configmaps

Next lesson: kubectl get

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