`kubectl debug` - Create debugging sessions for troubleshooting workloads and nodes

kubectl debug (POD | TYPE[[.VERSION].GROUP]/NAME) [ -- COMMAND [args...] ]

Options you will use

--image=: Container image to use for debug container.
--target=: When using an ephemeral container, target processes in this container name.
-i, --stdin: Keep stdin open on the container(s) in the pod, even if nothing is attached.
-t, --tty: Allocate a TTY for the debugging container.
--profile=legacy: Options are "legacy", "general", "baseline", "netadmin", "restricted" or "sysadmin".

$ kubectl debug -it pod/api-7c9 --image=nicolaka/netshoot --target=api

an ephemeral container in the pod's network namespace: curl localhost, dig, ss

$ kubectl debug node/worker-1 -it --image=busybox:1.36

a pod on the node with the host network and / mounted at /host; chroot /host to use the node's own tools

$ kubectl delete pod node-debugger-worker-1-xxxxx

node debug pods are not cleaned up for you

Ephemeral containers cannot be removed from a pod; they stay listed until the pod is deleted.

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