K8s Pod Initialization Phase

The Pod is in the 'Pending' phase with a condition of 'PodInitializing'. This means one or more Init Containers defined in the pod spec have not yet completed successfully. The main application containers will not start until all init containers exit with code 0.

Common Causes

An Init Container is still running (e.g., performing a slow setup task like data download).
An Init Container has failed (exited with a non-zero code).
The Init Container is waiting for a resource, like a PersistentVolumeClaim to be bound or a Service to be available.
Resource constraints (CPU/Memory) preventing the Init Container from being scheduled or causing it to crash.

How to Fix

1 Check Init Container Status

Use `kubectl describe` to see the current state and events for the stuck pod. Look for the Init Containers section and recent events.

BASH

$ kubectl describe pod <pod-name> -n <namespace>

2 View Init Container Logs

Examine the logs of a specific init container to see if it's running, waiting, or has failed with an error message.

BASH

$ kubectl logs <pod-name> -n <namespace> -c <init-container-name>

3 Debug Hanging Init Container

If an init container is hanging, you might need to check its logic, dependencies, or resource limits. Use `kubectl exec` to inspect a running init container (if possible).

BASH

$ kubectl exec -it <pod-name> -n <namespace> -c <init-container-name> -- /bin/sh

4 Fix Resource Issues

If the cause is insufficient resources, adjust the `resources.requests` and `resources.limits` for the init container in the pod specification.

BASH

 $ # Edit the pod's deployment or pod spec
kubectl edit deployment <deployment-name> -n <namespace>
# Then, modify the init container's resources section.