How to Change Default Namespace using Kubectl?

Kubernetes is a popular container orchestration tool that is widely used for managing containerized applications. Kubectl is a command-line tool that allows you to interact with Kubernetes clusters. When you work with Kubernetes clusters, you often need to manage different namespaces to organize your resources. By default, kubectl uses the "default" namespace, but you can change it to a different namespace. In this article, we will show you how to change the default namespace using kubectl.

Table of Contents

1. Check Current Namespace
2. Set a New Default Namespace
3. Verify the New Default Namespace
4. Change Namespace for a Single Command

Commands:

Before we begin, let's go over some of the basic kubectl commands that we will be using in this article:

• kubectl config view: This command displays the current configuration of kubectl.
• kubectl config set-context CONTEXT_NAME --namespace=NAMESPACE_NAME: This command sets the namespace for a particular context.
• kubectl config use-context CONTEXT_NAME: This command switches to a different context.

Step by step instructions:

1. Check Current Namespace

To check the current default namespace, run the following command:

kubectl config view | grep namespace:

This command will display the current namespace in the output. If you have not changed the default namespace, it should be "default".

2. Set a New Default Namespace

To set a new default namespace, run the following command:

kubectl config set-context --current --namespace=NAMESPACE_NAME

Replace NAMESPACE_NAME with the name of the namespace you want to set as the default. This command sets the namespace for the current context, which means that it will only apply to the current user and cluster.

3. Verify the New Default Namespace

To verify that the new default namespace has been set, run the following command:

kubectl config view | grep namespace:

This command will display the new namespace in the output. If you have set the namespace correctly, it should match the name of the new namespace you set.

4. Change Namespace for a Single Command

If you want to use a different namespace for a single command, you can specify it using the "--namespace" flag. For example, to list all the pods in a different namespace, run the following command:

kubectl get pods --namespace=NAMESPACE_NAME

Replace NAMESPACE_NAME with the name of the namespace you want to use for this command.

More Examples:

Here are a few more examples of using namespaces with kubectl:

• To create a new namespace, run the following command:

  kubectl create namespace NAMESPACE_NAME
  

  Replace NAMESPACE_NAME with the name of the new namespace you want to create.

• To list all the namespaces in your cluster, run the following command:

  kubectl get namespaces
  

• To delete a namespace and all its resources, run the following command:

  kubectl delete namespace NAMESPACE_NAME
  

  Replace NAMESPACE_NAME with the name of the namespace you want to delete.

We hope this article has been helpful in showing you how to change the default namespace using kubectl. Remember to always verify the current namespace before making any changes, and use the "--namespace" flag for individual commands if needed. With these tips, you can effectively manage your resources in Kubernetes clusters.

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That's it for this post. Keep practicing and have fun. Leave your comments if any.