KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are valid ways to view the logs of a pod named 'my-pod'?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse `kubectl describe` (which shows pod events and status) with `kubectl logs` (which shows actual application output), or assume `kubectl attach` can retrieve past logs when it only connects to the live process stream.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
kubectl exec my-pod -- cat /var/log/app.log
`kubectl exec my-pod -- cat /var/log/app.log` runs the `cat` command inside the container of the pod, allowing you to read a specific log file directly from the filesystem. This is a valid method when the application writes logs to a file rather than stdout/stderr, or when you need to inspect a log file that is not captured by the standard logging driver.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kubectl describe pod my-pod
Why it's wrong here
This shows metadata and events but not the logs of the container.
- ✓
kubectl exec my-pod -- cat /var/log/app.log
Why this is correct
If the application writes logs to a file, this command can retrieve them.
- ✓
kubectl logs my-pod
Why this is correct
This is the standard kubectl command to view container logs.
- ✗
kubectl run my-pod -- logs
Why it's wrong here
There is no such command; kubectl run creates a new pod.
- ✗
kubectl attach my-pod
Why it's wrong here
This attaches to the running process; not used for viewing logs.
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