Kubernetes Debugging Guide

A systematic approach to diagnosing and resolving Kubernetes issues. Always start with the basics: check events and logs first.

Common Error Patterns

CrashLoopBackOff

What it means: Container repeatedly crashes and fails to start. Kubernetes restarts it with exponential backoff (10s, 20s, 40s... up to 5 minutes).

Common causes:

• Insufficient memory/CPU resources
• Missing dependencies in container image
• Misconfigured liveness/readiness probes
• Application code errors or misconfigurations
• Missing environment variables or secrets