kubectl debug - Interactive Kubernetes Debugging

Expert knowledge for debugging Kubernetes resources using kubectl debug - ephemeral containers, pod copies, and node access.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when...	Use instead when...
Attaching an ephemeral debug container to a running pod with `kubectl debug`	Use kubernetes-operations for general kubectl workflows (apply, get, describe, logs)
Creating a pod copy with a different image or command for interactive troubleshooting	Use helm-debugging when the failure is in template rendering or chart configuration, not the running container
Opening a node-level debug session to inspect host namespaces or filesystems	Use helm-release-recovery when the recovery action is a Helm rollback rather than per-pod debugging

kubectl debug automates common debugging tasks:

Ephemeral Containers: Add debug containers to running pods without restart
Pod Copying: Create modified copies for debugging (different images, commands)
Node Debugging: Access node host namespaces and filesystem