diff

diffs the online configuration with local config

Diff configurations specified by filename or stdin between the current online configuration, and the configuration as it would be if applied.

Output is always YAML.

KUBECTL_EXTERNAL_DIFF environment variable can be used to select your own diff command. By default, the “diff” command available in your path will be run with “-u” (unified diff) and “-N” (treat absent files as empty) options.

Command

$ kubectl diff -f FILENAME

Example

Input File

# deployment.yaml - online configuration
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: nginx-dev
  labels:
    app: nginx
spec:
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: nginx
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: nginx
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: nginx
        image: nginx:1.14.2
# deployment.yaml - local configuration
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: nginx-dev
  labels:
    app: nginx
spec:
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: nginx
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: nginx
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: nginx
        image: nginx:latest

Notice that the local configuration refers to the latest nginx container from the registry.

Command

kubectl diff -f deployment.yaml

Output

diff -u -N /tmp/LIVE-435797985/apps.v1.Deployment.default.nginx-dev /tmp/MERGED-822429644/apps.v1.Deployment.default.nginx-dev
--- /tmp/LIVE-435797985/apps.v1.Deployment.default.nginx-dev    2020-09-20 14:50:30.160820677 +0000
+++ /tmp/MERGED-822429644/apps.v1.Deployment.default.nginx-dev  2020-09-20 14:50:30.172820784 +0000
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     kubectl.kubernetes.io/last-applied-configuration: |
       {"apiVersion":"apps/v1","kind":"Deployment","metadata":{"annotations":{},"name":"nginx-dev","namespace":"default"},"spec":{"selector":{"matchLabels":{"app":"nginx"}},"template":{"metadata":{"labels":{"app":"nginx"}},"spec":{"containers":[{"image":"nginx:1.14.2","name":"nginx"}]}}}}
   creationTimestamp: "2020-09-20T14:48:35Z"
-  generation: 1
+  generation: 2
   name: nginx-dev
   namespace: default
   resourceVersion: "2180"
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
         app: nginx
     spec:
       containers:
-      - image: nginx:1.14.2
+      - image: nginx:latest
         imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
         name: nginx
         resources: {}
exit status 1

Generating a Diff

Use the diff program in a user’s path to display a diff of the changes that will be made by Apply.

kubectl diff -k ./dir/

Setting the Diff Program

The KUBECTL_EXTERNAL_DIFF environment variable can be used to select your own diff command. By default, the “diff” command available in your path will be run with “-u” (unified) and “-N” (treat new files as empty) options.

export KUBECTL_EXTERNAL_DIFF=meld; kubectl diff -k ./dir/


Last modified September 23, 2020: docs update (b46eb86)