An init container exited with a non-zero status, preventing the Pod from starting. Debug by checking init container logs, exit codes, and command syntax to identify the failure.
Fixes Init container failed
# Init container failedInit container failed
Init containers run sequentially before the main application containers start. If any init container fails, Kubernetes stops the Pod startup and restarts the init sequence (respecting restart policy). Common failures include command errors, missing dependencies, permission issues, or failed health checks.
kubectl describe pod
kubectl logs pod -c init
kubectl get pod -o yaml
Verify syntax and files
Update and apply
Create test pod
Init containers sequential. One failure stops rest. Exit code 0 required for success. Use shared volumes for data passing.