Kubernetes Flux Skill
Installation
The skill invokes the Flux CLI. Install:
- macOS/Linux (Homebrew):
brew install fluxcd/tap/flux - macOS/Linux (script):
curl -s https://fluxcd.io/install.sh | sudo bash - Windows (winget):
winget install -e --id FluxCD.Flux - Windows (Chocolatey):
choco install flux - Custom dir:
curl -s https://fluxcd.io/install.sh | bash -s ~/.local/bin
Verify: flux --version. Then use flux bootstrap to deploy controllers if needed.
Cheat Sheet & Best Practices
Bootstrap: flux bootstrap git --url=ssh://git@host/repo.git --path=clusters/my-cluster; use --branch, --interval, --private-key-file or --token-auth as needed.
Status: flux check — controllers/CRDs; flux get all -A — all resources; flux get kustomizations; flux tree kustomization <name> — managed objects.
Hacks: Use flux get sources git and flux get kustomizations to see sync state. Reconcile on demand: flux reconcile kustomization <name> --with-source. Pin versions with FLUX_VERSION on install script. Prefer Git over Helm for app manifests when using GitOps.
Certifications & Training
Kubernetes: CKA / CKAD (Linux Foundation). Flux: GitOps with Flux (LFS269). Skill data: Bootstrap, reconcile, status (flux check, flux get all), tree; GitOps workflow.
Hooks & Workflows
Suggested hooks: Pre-apply: flux check. Post-push (to Git repo used by Flux): optional reconcile trigger. Use with devops (always) for GitOps clusters.
Workflows: Use with devops (always). Flow: bootstrap or reconcile; debug with flux get all, flux tree kustomization. See gitops-workflow skill and enterprise workflows.
Overview
This skill provides comprehensive Kubernetes cluster management through kubectl, enabling AI agents to inspect, troubleshoot, and manage Kubernetes resources.
When to Use
- Debugging application pods and containers
- Monitoring deployment rollouts and status
- Analyzing service networking and endpoints
- Investigating cluster events and errors
- Troubleshooting performance issues
- Managing application scaling
- Port forwarding for local development
Requirements
- kubectl installed and configured
- Valid KUBECONFIG file or default context
- Cluster access credentials
- Appropriate RBAC permissions
Quick Reference
# Get pods in current namespace
kubectl get pods
# Get pods in specific namespace
kubectl get pods -n production
# Get pods with labels
kubectl get pods -l app=web -n production
# Describe a pod
kubectl describe pod my-app-123 -n default
# Get pod logs
kubectl logs my-app-123 -n default
# Get logs with tail
kubectl logs my-app-123 -n default --tail=100
# Get logs since time
kubectl logs my-app-123 -n default --since=1h
# List recent events
kubectl get events -n default --sort-by='.lastTimestamp' | tail -20
# Watch events in real-time
kubectl get events -n default -wResource Discovery
Pods
# List all pods
kubectl get pods -n <namespace>
# List pods with wide output
kubectl get pods -n <namespace> -o wide
# List pods across all namespaces
kubectl get pods -A
# Filter by label
kubectl get pods -l app=nginx -n <namespace>Deployments
# List deployments
kubectl get deployments -n <namespace>
# Get deployment details
kubectl describe deployment <name> -n <namespace>
# Check rollout status
kubectl rollout status deployment/<name> -n <namespace>Services
# List services
kubectl get svc -n <namespace>
# Describe service
kubectl describe svc <name> -n <namespace>
# Get endpoints
kubectl get endpoints <name> -n <namespace>ConfigMaps and Secrets
# List ConfigMaps
kubectl get configmaps -n <namespace>
# Describe ConfigMap
kubectl describe configmap <name> -n <namespace>
# Get ConfigMap data
kubectl get configmap <name> -n <namespace> -o yaml
# List Secrets (names only)
kubectl get secrets -n <namespace>
# Describe Secret (values masked)
kubectl describe secret <name> -n <namespace>Namespaces
# List namespaces
kubectl get namespaces
# Get namespace details
kubectl describe namespace <name>Troubleshooting
Pod Debugging
# Describe pod for events and conditions
kubectl describe pod <name> -n <namespace>
# Get pod logs
kubectl logs <pod-name> -n <namespace>
# Get logs from specific container
kubectl logs <pod-name> -c <container-name> -n <namespace>
# Get previous container logs (after crash)
kubectl logs <pod-name> -n <namespace> --previous
# Exec into pod
kubectl exec -it <pod-name> -n <namespace> -- /bin/sh
# Run command in pod
kubectl exec <pod-name> -n <namespace> -- ls -la /appEvents
# List events sorted by time
kubectl get events -n <namespace> --sort-by='.lastTimestamp'
# Filter warning events
kubectl get events -n <namespace> --field-selector type=Warning
# Watch events live
kubectl get events -n <namespace> -wManagement Operations
Scaling
# Scale deployment
kubectl scale deployment <name> --replicas=5 -n <namespace>
# Autoscale deployment
kubectl autoscale deployment <name> --min=2 --max=10 --cpu-percent=80 -n <namespace>Rollouts
# Check rollout status
kubectl rollout status deployment/<name> -n <namespace>
# View rollout history
kubectl rollout history deployment/<name> -n <namespace>
# Rollback to previous version
kubectl rollout undo deployment/<name> -n <namespace>
# Rollback to specific revision
kubectl rollout undo deployment/<name> --to-revision=2 -n <namespace>Port Forwarding
# Forward local port to pod
kubectl port-forward <pod-name> 8080:80 -n <namespace>
# Forward to service
kubectl port-forward svc/<service-name> 8080:80 -n <namespace>Context Management
# Get current context
kubectl config current-context
# List all contexts
kubectl config get-contexts
# Switch context
kubectl config use-context <context-name>
# Set default namespace
kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=<namespace>Common Workflows
Troubleshoot a Failing Pod
# 1. Find the problematic pod
kubectl get pods -n production
# 2. Describe for events
kubectl describe pod <pod-name> -n production
# 3. Check events
kubectl get events -n production --sort-by='.lastTimestamp' | tail -20
# 4. Get logs
kubectl logs <pod-name> -n production --tail=200Monitor Deployment Rollout
# 1. Check deployment status
kubectl get deployments -n production
# 2. Watch rollout
kubectl rollout status deployment/<name> -n production
# 3. Watch pods
kubectl get pods -l app=<app-name> -n production -wDebug Service Connectivity
# 1. Check service
kubectl describe svc <name> -n <namespace>
# 2. Check endpoints
kubectl get endpoints <name> -n <namespace>
# 3. Check backing pods
kubectl get pods -l <service-selector> -n <namespace>
# 4. Port forward for testing
kubectl port-forward svc/<name> 8080:80 -n <namespace>Safety Features
Blocked Operations
The following are dangerous and require confirmation:
kubectl deletecommands- Destructive exec commands (rm, dd, mkfs)
- Scale to 0 replicas in production
Masked Output
Secret values are always masked. Only metadata shown.
Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
kubectl not found | Not installed | Install kubectl |
Unable to connect | Cluster unreachable | Check network/VPN |
Forbidden | RBAC permissions | Request permissions |
NotFound | Resource missing | Verify name/namespace |
context deadline exceeded | Timeout | Check cluster health |
Related
- kubectl docs: https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/kubectl/
- Kubernetes API: https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/kubernetes-api/
Memory Protocol (MANDATORY)
Before starting:
cat .claude/context/memory/learnings.mdAfter completing: Record any new patterns or exceptions discovered.
ASSUME INTERRUPTION: Your context may reset. If it's not in memory, it didn't happen.