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How to fix init container timeout in Kubernetes | DevErrors

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How to fix init container timeout

How to fix init container timeout in Kubernetes

KubernetesINTERMEDIATEHIGH

Error when init container takes too long

What this error means

Init did not complete in time

Typical symptoms

stuck init
never completes
restarts
timeout events
initialization stuck

Common causes

downloading files
waiting service
slow migration
slow pull
resource constraints

How to fix "init container timeout"

1Check duration

kubectl describe pod timeline

2Monitor progress

kubectl logs pod -c init

3Increase timeout

activeDeadlineSeconds in spec

4Optimize init

Lightweight images, add timeouts

Add explicit timeouts

Advanced notes

No default timeout. Avoid indefinite waits. Use probe-based waiting for dependencies instead of init containers.

Related errors

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Official resources & further reading

📚Kubernetes Official Documentation
📖
Kubernetes Docs: Init Containers(Official Docs)
📖
Kubernetes Docs: Pod Lifecycle(Official Docs)
💬
Stack Overflow: Kubernetes init container troubleshooting(Stack Overflow)

5

curl --max-time, timeout command

6Pre-pull image

Avoid image pull delays

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How to fix "running with swap on is not supported" in kubeadm