kubectl cheatsheet: essential commands for Kubernetes

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

kubectl is the primary interface to a Kubernetes cluster. This cheatheet covers routine operations — from context setup to pod debugging and namespace switching. All commands are verified against current kubectl versions (1.28+).

Installation and Context Setup

Installation depends on your OS. On Linux, use the package manager or the binary directly:

curl -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/$(curl -L -s https://dl.k8s.io/release/stable.txt)/bin/linux/amd64/kubectl"
chmod +x kubectl && sudo mv kubectl /usr/local/bin/
kubectl version --client

Configuration lives in ~/.kube/config. A context defines the cluster, user, and default namespace.

kubectl whoami and Service Account Permission Checks

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When deploying an application to Kubernetes, the most common failure is a service account that cannot do what it should. Permission denied when creating a secret, rejection on list pods, refusal on update. kubectl whoami and kubectl auth can-i let you quickly identify exactly who cannot do what.

kubectl whoami plugin

Note

kubectl whoami is not a built-in kubectl command. It is a plugin from krew or a standalone binary. Install with kubectl krew install whoami or download from GitHub.

Kubectl on Lead DevOps

kubectl cheatsheet: essential commands for Kubernetes

Installation and Context Setup

kubectl whoami and Service Account Permission Checks

kubectl whoami plugin