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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Start with the Pod’s namespace, status, container states, restart counts, and recent events; then follow the evidence to the right container or Kubernetes layer. A Pod that is Pending needs a different investigation from one that is restarting or running but unreachable.
Start with scope, status, and events
First establish which namespace, workload, Pod, and container are affected. If the workload has multiple replicas, compare a failing Pod with a healthy one: a single failure suggests a different scope from a symptom shared across replicas.
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kubectl get pods -n <namespace>
kubectl describe pod <pod> -n <namespace>
kubectl get events -n <namespace>kubectl describe pod shows the Pod’s details and recent events. Check its current state, conditions, container states, restart counts, and event messages before changing a manifest. Events are namespace-scoped, so query the namespace where the Pod lives. A FailedScheduling event may identify a placement or resource problem; use the actual message rather than assuming insufficient capacity is the cause. See Kubernetes’ Pod debugging guide.
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My Pod stays Pending
A Pending Pod has not reached the point where inspecting application logs is usually the first useful step. Read the scheduling events in its description and check the resource and placement clues they provide. Address the reported constraint, then observe whether the Pod is scheduled; do not guess at a manifest change from the status alone. Kubernetes’ debugging guide includes insufficient resources as an example of a scheduling explanation, not an exhaustive list of causes.
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Debug a Pod that keeps restarting
For CrashLoopBackOff or other repeated restarts, identify the affected container and inspect both its current output and, when available, the output from its previous instance. A container that has already crashed may not remain available long enough for an interactive shell.
kubectl logs <pod> -c <container> -n <namespace>
kubectl logs <pod> -c <container> --previous -n <namespace>
kubectl describe pod <pod> -n <namespace>The --previous option requests logs from the previous instance of the container. Read them alongside the container’s exit details and startup configuration; logs can show what happened before termination, while the Pod description supplies state and event context. For command options, see the Kubernetes kubectl logs reference.
Check init containers separately
If initialization is the part that is not completing, inspect the init container’s own state and logs by its container name. An application container’s logs may not explain a Pod blocked during initialization. Kubernetes maintains a separate init-container troubleshooting guide.
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Debug a running Pod that is not ready or serving
For a running but unhealthy Pod, inspect the relevant container’s logs and probe status, then test the application and its dependencies from a context suited to the failure. A running state alone does not establish that the application is ready or that clients can reach it. Kubernetes’ Debug Running Pods guide covers investigation within a running Pod.
If the application responds from within the Pod but clients cannot access it, investigate the Service path rather than treating every connectivity failure as a Pod fault. Check whether the Service selects the intended Pods, whether it has the expected endpoints, and whether in-cluster connectivity works. Follow the Kubernetes Service debugging guide.
Choose the right inspection method
| Method | Best fit | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
kubectl logs |
Inspect output from a container, including a previous instance after a crash. | Specify the container when the Pod has more than one; previous-instance output is available only when there is a previous instance. |
kubectl exec |
Run a command inside a running container that contains the needed shell or utility. | It cannot help if the container is not running, and minimal or distroless images may have no shell or troubleshooting tools. |
Ephemeral container with kubectl debug |
Temporarily inspect a running Pod when exec is insufficient or the workload image lacks utilities. | Requires suitable cluster/runtime support and deliberate choices about debug image, process targeting, and permissions. |
| Debug copy of a Pod | Investigate with a modified copy when altering the original Pod is not the desired approach. | It is a separate Pod; clean it up when finished. |
| Node debug Pod | Investigate a problem that points to the node rather than an individual application container. | Advanced node diagnosis may require node identification and shell access. |
Use exec only when the container can support it
For a running container with the required tools, run a targeted command rather than assuming every image includes a shell:
kubectl exec -it <pod> -c <container> -n <namespace> -- shThe command fails if the container is not running or its image does not contain sh. In that case, use logs or a suitable debug method instead. The Kubernetes running-Pod guide explains the available approaches.
Use kubectl debug when exec is insufficient
Kubernetes describes ephemeral containers as useful for interactive troubleshooting when a container has crashed or its image does not include debugging utilities. The feature has been stable since Kubernetes v1.25. An ephemeral container is user-initiated, is not automatically restarted, and cannot be changed or removed after it has been added to the Pod.
kubectl debug -it <pod> -n <namespace> --image=busyboxThis is a starting example, not a universal command: the task may require a target container, another profile, or a copied Pod, and cluster policy or runtime support may constrain the options. In particular, whether a debug container can see a target process namespace depends in part on runtime support. Verify flags against the installed kubectl version and the cluster’s policy. See the Kubernetes running-Pod guidance, Ephemeral Containers documentation, and kubectl debug reference.
Keep debug permissions and cleanup deliberate
An ephemeral container runs in the Pod’s context, so choose an image and security profile appropriate to the investigation and the cluster’s requirements. Documented profiles include general, baseline, restricted, netadmin, and sysadmin. Capabilities requested by a profile may not work when the target Pod runs as non-root. The sysadmin profile can grant privileged capabilities, so do not use it as the default. Review the kubectl debug reference before choosing options. Remove copied debug Pods when the investigation is complete; an ephemeral container itself cannot be removed from the Pod after it is added.
When the problem belongs to the node or cluster
If the evidence points beyond one Pod—for example, symptoms affect multiple workloads or implicate node health—move to cluster-level troubleshooting rather than continuing to treat the problem as an application-container fault. Some advanced Pod investigations require identifying the node and gaining shell access. Kubernetes separates application and cluster investigation in its Monitoring, Logging, and Debugging overview; check the known issues for the Kubernetes release running in your environment.
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