---
title: kubectl for Docker Users
reviewers:
- bgrant0607
- brendandburns
- thockin
---

You can use the Kubernetes command line tool kubectl to interact with the api. You can use kubectl if you are familiar with docker-cli. However, there are a few differences in the docker-cli commands and the kubectl commands. Each of the following section details a docker subcommand and explains the kubectl equivalent.

{{< toc >}}

#### docker run

To run an nginx Deployment and expose the Deployment, see [kubectl run](/docs/reference/generated/kubectl/kubectl-commands/#run).

docker:

```shell
$ docker run -d --restart=always -e DOMAIN=cluster --name nginx-app -p 80:80 nginx
55c103fa129692154a7652490236fee9be47d70a8dd562281ae7d2f9a339a6db

$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE               COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS              PORTS                NAMES
55c103fa1296        nginx               "nginx -g 'daemon of…"   9 seconds ago       Up 9 seconds        0.0.0.0:80->80/tcp   nginx-app
```

kubectl:

```shell
# start the pod running nginx
$ kubectl run --image=nginx nginx-app --port=80 --env="DOMAIN=cluster"
deployment "nginx-app" created
```

{{< note >}}
**Note:** `kubectl` commands print the type and name of the resource created or mutated, which can then be used in subsequent commands. You can expose a new Service after a Deployment is created.
{{< /note >}}

```shell
# expose a port through with a service
$ kubectl expose deployment nginx-app --port=80 --name=nginx-http
service "nginx-http" exposed
```

By using kubectl, you can create a [Deployment](/docs/concepts/workloads/controllers/deployment/) to ensure that N pods are running nginx, where N is the number of replicas stated in the spec and defaults to 1. You can also create a [service](/docs/concepts/services-networking/service/) with a selector that matches the pod labels. For more information, see [Use a Service to Access an Application in a Cluster](/docs/tasks/access-application-cluster/service-access-application-cluster).

By default images run in the background, similar to `docker run -d ...`. To run things in the foreground, use:

```shell
kubectl run [-i] [--tty] --attach <name> --image=<image>
```

Unlike `docker run ...`, if you specify `--attach`, then you attach `stdin`, `stdout` and `stderr`. You cannot control which streams are attached (`docker -a ...`).
To detach from the container, you can type the escape sequence Ctrl+P followed by Ctrl+Q.

Because the kubectl run command starts a Deployment for the container, the Deployment restarts if you terminate the attached process by using Ctrl+C, unlike `docker run -it`.
To destroy the Deployment and its pods you need to run `kubectl delete deployment <name>`.

#### docker ps

To list what is currently running, see [kubectl get](/docs/reference/generated/kubectl/kubectl-commands/#get).

docker:

```shell
$ docker ps -a
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE               COMMAND                  CREATED              STATUS                     PORTS                NAMES
14636241935f        ubuntu:16.04        "echo test"              5 seconds ago        Exited (0) 5 seconds ago                        cocky_fermi
55c103fa1296        nginx               "nginx -g 'daemon of…"   About a minute ago   Up About a minute          0.0.0.0:80->80/tcp   nginx-app
```

kubectl:

```shell
$ kubectl get po -a
NAME                        READY     STATUS      RESTARTS   AGE
nginx-app-8df569cb7-4gd89   1/1       Running     0          3m
ubuntu                      0/1       Completed   0          20s
```

#### docker attach

To attach a process that is already running in a container, see [kubectl attach](/docs/reference/generated/kubectl/kubectl-commands/#attach).

docker:

```shell
$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE               COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS              PORTS                NAMES
55c103fa1296        nginx               "nginx -g 'daemon of…"   5 minutes ago       Up 5 minutes        0.0.0.0:80->80/tcp   nginx-app

$ docker attach 55c103fa1296
...
```

kubectl:

```shell
$ kubectl get pods
NAME              READY     STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
nginx-app-5jyvm   1/1       Running   0          10m

$ kubectl attach -it nginx-app-5jyvm
...
```

To detach from the container, you can type the escape sequence Ctrl+P followed by Ctrl+Q.

#### docker exec

To execute a command in a container, see [kubectl exec](/docs/reference/generated/kubectl/kubectl-commands/#exec).

docker:

```shell
$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE               COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS              PORTS                NAMES
55c103fa1296        nginx               "nginx -g 'daemon of…"   6 minutes ago       Up 6 minutes        0.0.0.0:80->80/tcp   nginx-app

$ docker exec 55c103fa1296 cat /etc/hostname
55c103fa1296
```

kubectl:

```shell
$ kubectl get po
NAME              READY     STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
nginx-app-5jyvm   1/1       Running   0          10m

$ kubectl exec nginx-app-5jyvm -- cat /etc/hostname
nginx-app-5jyvm
```

To use interactive commands.


docker:

```shell
$ docker exec -ti 55c103fa1296 /bin/sh
# exit
```

kubectl:

```shell
$ kubectl exec -ti nginx-app-5jyvm -- /bin/sh      
# exit
```

For more information, see [Get a Shell to a Running Container](/docs/tasks/debug-application-cluster/get-shell-running-container/).

#### docker logs

To follow stdout/stderr of a process that is running, see [kubectl logs](/docs/reference/generated/kubectl/kubectl-commands/#logs).


docker:

```shell
$ docker logs -f a9e
192.168.9.1 - - [14/Jul/2015:01:04:02 +0000] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 612 "-" "curl/7.35.0" "-"
192.168.9.1 - - [14/Jul/2015:01:04:03 +0000] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 612 "-" "curl/7.35.0" "-"
```

kubectl:

```shell
$ kubectl logs -f nginx-app-zibvs
10.240.63.110 - - [14/Jul/2015:01:09:01 +0000] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 612 "-" "curl/7.26.0" "-"
10.240.63.110 - - [14/Jul/2015:01:09:02 +0000] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 612 "-" "curl/7.26.0" "-"
```

There is a slight difference between pods and containers; by default pods do not terminate if their processes exit. Instead the pods restart the process. This is similar to the docker run option `--restart=always` with one major difference. In docker, the output for each invocation of the process is concatenated, but for Kubernetes, each invocation is separate. To see the output from a previous run in Kubernetes, do this:

```shell
$ kubectl logs --previous nginx-app-zibvs
10.240.63.110 - - [14/Jul/2015:01:09:01 +0000] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 612 "-" "curl/7.26.0" "-"
10.240.63.110 - - [14/Jul/2015:01:09:02 +0000] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 612 "-" "curl/7.26.0" "-"
```

For more information, see [Logging Architecture](/docs/concepts/cluster-administration/logging/).

#### docker stop and docker rm

To stop and delete a running process, see [kubectl delete](/docs/reference/generated/kubectl/kubectl-commands/#delete).

docker:

```shell
$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE               COMMAND                CREATED             STATUS              PORTS                         NAMES
a9ec34d98787        nginx               "nginx -g 'daemon of"  22 hours ago        Up 22 hours         0.0.0.0:80->80/tcp, 443/tcp   nginx-app

$ docker stop a9ec34d98787
a9ec34d98787

$ docker rm a9ec34d98787
a9ec34d98787
```

kubectl:

```shell
$ kubectl get deployment nginx-app
NAME        DESIRED   CURRENT   UP-TO-DATE   AVAILABLE   AGE
nginx-app   1         1         1            1           2m

$ kubectl get po -l run=nginx-app
NAME                         READY     STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
nginx-app-2883164633-aklf7   1/1       Running   0          2m

$ kubectl delete deployment nginx-app
deployment "nginx-app" deleted

$ kubectl get po -l run=nginx-app
# Return nothing
```

{{< note >}}
**Note:** When you use kubectl, you don't delete the pod directly.You have to first delete the Deployment that owns the pod. If you delete the pod directly, the Deployment recreates the pod.
{{< /note >}}

#### docker login

There is no direct analog of `docker login` in kubectl. If you are interested in using Kubernetes with a private registry, see [Using a Private Registry](/docs/concepts/containers/images/#using-a-private-registry).

#### docker version

To get the version of client and server, see [kubectl version](/docs/reference/generated/kubectl/kubectl-commands/#version).

docker:

```shell
$ docker version
Client version: 1.7.0
Client API version: 1.19
Go version (client): go1.4.2
Git commit (client): 0baf609
OS/Arch (client): linux/amd64
Server version: 1.7.0
Server API version: 1.19
Go version (server): go1.4.2
Git commit (server): 0baf609
OS/Arch (server): linux/amd64
```

kubectl:

```shell
$ kubectl version
Client Version: version.Info{Major:"1", Minor:"6", GitVersion:"v1.6.9+a3d1dfa6f4335", GitCommit:"9b77fed11a9843ce3780f70dd251e92901c43072", GitTreeState:"dirty", BuildDate:"2017-08-29T20:32:58Z", OpenPaasKubernetesVersion:"v1.03.02", GoVersion:"go1.7.5", Compiler:"gc", Platform:"linux/amd64"}
Server Version: version.Info{Major:"1", Minor:"6", GitVersion:"v1.6.9+a3d1dfa6f4335", GitCommit:"9b77fed11a9843ce3780f70dd251e92901c43072", GitTreeState:"dirty", BuildDate:"2017-08-29T20:32:58Z", OpenPaasKubernetesVersion:"v1.03.02", GoVersion:"go1.7.5", Compiler:"gc", Platform:"linux/amd64"}
```

#### docker info

To get miscellaneous information about the environment and configuration, see [kubectl cluster-info](/docs/reference/generated/kubectl/kubectl-commands/#cluster-info).

docker:

```shell
$ docker info
Containers: 40
Images: 168
Storage Driver: aufs
 Root Dir: /usr/local/google/docker/aufs
 Backing Filesystem: extfs
 Dirs: 248
 Dirperm1 Supported: false
Execution Driver: native-0.2
Logging Driver: json-file
Kernel Version: 3.13.0-53-generic
Operating System: Ubuntu 14.04.2 LTS
CPUs: 12
Total Memory: 31.32 GiB
Name: k8s-is-fun.mtv.corp.google.com
ID: ADUV:GCYR:B3VJ:HMPO:LNPQ:KD5S:YKFQ:76VN:IANZ:7TFV:ZBF4:BYJO
WARNING: No swap limit support
```

kubectl:

```shell
$ kubectl cluster-info
Kubernetes master is running at https://108.59.85.141
KubeDNS is running at https://108.59.85.141/api/v1/namespaces/kube-system/services/kube-dns/proxy
kubernetes-dashboard is running at https://108.59.85.141/api/v1/namespaces/kube-system/services/kubernetes-dashboard/proxy
Grafana is running at https://108.59.85.141/api/v1/namespaces/kube-system/services/monitoring-grafana/proxy
Heapster is running at https://108.59.85.141/api/v1/namespaces/kube-system/services/monitoring-heapster/proxy
InfluxDB is running at https://108.59.85.141/api/v1/namespaces/kube-system/services/monitoring-influxdb/proxy
```
