Debugging Go: from zero to Kubernetes

How do you attach a debugger to a live Go application inside a Kubernetes pod? Learn the modern approach using ephemeral containers.

#1about 5 minutes

Understanding the core concepts and tools of debugging

Debugging involves identifying and removing errors using tools like tests, logs, and live debuggers, but requires caution in production environments.

#2about 2 minutes

An introduction to Delve for debugging Go applications

Delve is a command-line debugger for Go that can be started with commands like `dlv debug` or attached to a running process with `dlv attach`.

#3about 5 minutes

How to set up a two-container Docker environment

Remote debugging in Docker requires two containers: one for the application binary and a separate one containing the Delve debugger and the application's source code.

#4about 4 minutes

Enabling cross-container access with Docker flags

The `--pid` flag shares process namespaces between containers, while `--cap-add SYS_PTRACE` grants the necessary Linux capabilities for the debugger to attach.

#5about 3 minutes

Translating the Docker debugging setup to Kubernetes

A simple way to debug in Kubernetes is to create a pod with two containers, one for the app and one for the debugger, sharing the process namespace.

#6about 2 minutes

Using ephemeral containers for on-demand debugging

Ephemeral containers, launched with `kubectl debug`, provide a more efficient way to attach a debugger to a running pod without permanently adding a sidecar.

#7about 4 minutes

Summary of debugging techniques and audience Q&A

This recap covers the main points of debugging from local to Kubernetes and answers questions about interactivity, port forwarding, and compile flags.