What is the difference between kubectl exec and kubectl debug in Kubernetes?

Question

Kubernetes Fundamentals — Hard

What is the difference between kubectl exec and kubectl debug in Kubernetes?

Accepted Answer

The distinction between kubectl exec and kubectl debug lies in their approach to container debugging. kubectl exec runs commands in existing containers, whereas kubectl debug creates ephemeral containers for debugging purposes. This difference allows kubectl debug to handle cases where containers lack debug tools or are crash-looping.