How to fix Init container failed in Kubernetes

KubernetesINTERMEDIATEMEDIUM

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.

What this error means

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.

Typical symptoms

Pod stuck in "Init:0/N" or "InitContainerCrashLoopBackOff" state
Pod events show init container exit with error code
kubectl logs shows init container failure
Application never starts due to init failure
Init container cannot find required files or commands
Network or storage not ready when init runs
Previous init containers completed but next one fails

Common causes

Init container command has syntax error or wrong binary
Required files or volumes not present when init runs
Permission denied accessing files or directories
Dependency service not available or not responding
Init container image missing required tools
Volume mount not ready when init container starts
Environment variables not set correctly
Init container exit code indicates application-specific error

How to fix "Init container failed"

1Check status

kubectl describe pod

2Check logs

kubectl logs pod -c init

3Verify image

kubectl get pod -o yaml

4Check script

Verify syntax and files

5Fix and redeploy

Advanced notes

Init containers sequential. One failure stops rest. Exit code 0 required for success. Use shared volumes for data passing.

Related errors

Official resources & further reading

📚Kubernetes Official Documentation
📖
Kubernetes: Init Containers(Official Docs)
💬
SO: Init container failures in Kubernetes(Stack Overflow)