Kubernetes

Kubectl Tricks: Boost Your Kubernetes Productivity kubectl is the primary command-line tool for interacting with Kubernetes clusters. While the basics are widely known, mastering some lesser-known tricks can significantly enhance your daily workflow. 1. Quickly Switch Contexts kubectl config use-context my-cluster kubectl config get-contexts Use kubectx for even faster context switching. 2. View Resources with Custom Columns kubectl get pods -o custom-columns="NAME:.metadata.name,STATUS:.status.phase" 3. Watch Resource Changes in Real-Time kubectl get pods --watch 4. Debug a Running Pod kubectl exec -it my-pod -- /bin/sh 5. Apply YAML from stdin cat pod.yaml | kubectl apply -f - 6. Port Forward a Pod to Localhost kubectl port-forward svc/my-service 8080:80 7. Set a Temporary Alias alias k='kubectl' 8. Output as YAML/JSON kubectl get pod mypod -o yaml kubectl get pod mypod -o json Conclusion These kubectl tricks are just a starting point. Efficient CLI usage can drastically reduce time spent managing Kubernetes clusters. ...

What is Longhorn? Longhorn is a lightweight, distributed block storage system designed for Kubernetes. Created by Rancher Labs, it’s built specifically for cloud-native environments and enables highly available persistent volumes using standard Kubernetes interfaces. Key Features Cloud-native: Designed specifically for Kubernetes. Highly Available: Replicates volumes across nodes. UI and CLI Tools: Easily manage storage through web interface or CLI. Incremental Snapshots and Backups: Built-in support. Easy to Deploy and Use: Helm and YAML options available. Why Use Longhorn? Kubernetes does not manage storage on its own — it needs a CSI (Container Storage Interface) driver. Longhorn is a popular open-source choice that offers: ...

Helm vs Kustomize: Which One Should You Choose? When deploying applications in Kubernetes, two of the most popular tools for managing configuration are Helm and Kustomize. Both aim to make deploying manifests more manageable, but they follow different philosophies and offer distinct features. Table of Contents What is Helm? What is Kustomize? Key Differences Pros and Cons Use Cases and Recommendations Example Configurations Conclusion 1. What is Helm? Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes. It lets you define, install, and upgrade even the most complex Kubernetes applications using Helm charts. ...

What is a Self-Signed Certificate? A self-signed certificate is a TLS/SSL certificate that is signed by the same entity whose identity it certifies. Unlike certificates signed by Certificate Authorities (CAs), self-signed certificates are not inherently trusted by clients or browsers. When to Use Self-Signed Certificates Development environments Internal testing and staging setups Internal services in private networks (e.g., Kubernetes clusters) ⚠️ Avoid using self-signed certificates in production for public-facing services unless you manage client trust manually. ...

How to Move K3s Data to a New Location Sometimes, you need to move K3s data to a different disk or partition — for example, when you run out of space or want to use a faster storage device. Here’s a safe way to do it. ⚠️ Prerequisites Root or sudo access Disk or mount point already prepared (e.g., /datadrive) 📦 What Will Be Moved We will migrate the following directories: ...