blog / kubernetes
Kubernetes troubleshooting guides
Field guides for the failures that actually page you. CrashLoopBackOff, ImagePullBackOff, OOMKills, pending pods, broken Services, each with the fastest diagnostic path first.
7 posts
CreateContainerConfigError: the ConfigMap/Secret mistakes behind it
CreateContainerConfigError decoded: every ConfigMap and Secret mistake that causes it, the exact describe events, and the fastest fix for each.
OOMKilled and exit code 137: finding the real memory hog
OOMKilled Kubernetes pods and exit code 137: how to read Last State, use kubectl top, dodge JVM container traps, and decide raise-the-limit vs fix-the-leak.
How to prepare for a Kubernetes troubleshooting interview
Kubernetes interview preparation that actually works: what troubleshooting interviews test, a weekly practice loop, and the command fluency list to drill.
CrashLoopBackOff vs ImagePullBackOff vs Error: a pod status taxonomy
A field map of every Kubernetes pod status - CrashLoopBackOff, ImagePullBackOff, Pending, Error - and the first command to run for each one.
Kubernetes interview questions that actually predict skill
Most Kubernetes interview questions test vocabulary, not skill. Here are scenario questions that predict debugging ability, with strong and weak answers.
Fixing ImagePullBackOff: every cause, fastest check first
Every cause of kubernetes ImagePullBackOff, ordered fastest check first: image typos, missing tags, registry auth, Docker Hub rate limits, and network failures.
Debugging CrashLoopBackOff in Kubernetes: a field guide
What CrashLoopBackOff really means, how to read the exit code, and the 8 causes it comes from - each with the fastest diagnostic path first.