Feature Description

• One-line feature description (can be used as a release note): Support advanced troubleshooting of running pods by running a new container image in shared pod namespaces.
• Kubernetes Enhancement Proposal: https://git.k8s.io/enhancements/keps/sig-node/277-ephemeral-containers
• Primary contact (assignee): @verb
• Responsible SIGs: sig-node
• Feature target (which target equals to which milestone):
  • Alpha release target (1.16)
  • Beta release target (1.23)
  • Stable release target (1.25)

Documentation

• Ephemeral Containers Overview
• Creating Ephemeral Containers using kubectl

Milestones

These are the user-visible milestones on the way towards a Kubernetes release that will support kubectl debug functionality. Those interested can follow this issue for updates. I've included estimated release targets, but these are highly dependent on reviewer availability and should not be relied upon.

• Ephemeral containers added to core API (landed 1.16)

  kubelet support for creating basic ephemeral containers (landed 1.16)

  kubectl command to launch ephemeral containers (landed 1.17)

  kubelet support for namespace targeting (landed 1.18)

  kubectl support for adding ephemeral containers (landed 1.18)

  Switch API to use Pod kind (target 1.22)

  allow setting securityContext (target 1.22)

  Beta graduation (target 1.23)
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Related Enhancements and Proposals

• Configurable Pod Process Namespace Sharing #495: Process Namespace Sharing
• KEP 1441 - kubectl debug #1441: kubectl debug command

Issues & Feature Requests

Completed features

• FR: New kubectl command kubectl debug kubernetes#45922: kubectl debug command

  Ephemeral Containers: Enable container namespace targeting kubernetes#84359: Container namespace targetting

  Add integration test for disabled ephemeral containers kubernetes#98067: Integration test for disabled feature behavior

  Create kubelet metrics for ephemeral containers creation and usage kubernetes#97974: Add kubelet metrics for Ephemeral Containers

  Ephemeral Containers: Allow setting security context kubernetes#53188: Allow setting security context of Ephemeral Containers

  kubectl debug compatibility with pre-1.22 ephemeral containers API kubernetes#102008: kubectl debug compatibility with pre-1.22 ephemeral containers API
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Scheduled for work in 1.23

• Create e2e tests for Ephemeral Containers kubernetes#85545: Add e2e testing of Ephemeral Containers

  Promote Ephemeral Containers to beta and enable by default kubernetes#98808: Promote Ephemeral Containers to beta and enable by default

  Update via /ephemeralcontainers validates entire PodSpec kubernetes#105241: Improve safety in ephemeral containers update validation
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Scheduled for work in 1.25

• Improve tests and fix bugs in container validation kubernetes#111401

  Fix incorrect message when attaching to ephemeral containers kubernetes#111185

  Add Ephemeral Containers to node conformance tests kubernetes#111404

  Investigate exercising Ephemeral Container creation in upgrade tests kubernetes#98807

  Promote EphemeralContainers feature to GA kubernetes#111402

  Mark EphemeralContainers as GA in 1.25 website#35545
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Future work, out of scope for this KEP

• Ephemeral Containers: Automatically taint pods with ephemeral containers kubernetes#84353: Automatically taint pods with ephemeral containers
• Support removing ephemeral container from pod kubernetes#84764: Allow removing ephemeral containers

Contribute to these features or help prioritize by voting for these issues.