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Kubernetes hostPath Lab

Prerequisites

  • Kubernetes cluster (e.g. Minikube, Kind)
  • kubectl installed and configured
  • Access to the node (for file verification)

Step 1: Prepare the host directory

Login to your Kubernetes node (if using Minikube, run: minikube ssh) and create a directory:

sudo mkdir -p /data/hostpath-test
sudo chmod 777 /data/hostpath-test

Step 2: Create a Pod with a hostPath volume

Create a file named hostpath-pod.yaml:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: hostpath-demo
spec:
  containers:
  - name: busybox
    image: busybox
    command: [ "sh", "-c", "sleep 3600" ]
    volumeMounts:
    - mountPath: /data
      name: host-volume
  volumes:
  - name: host-volume
    hostPath:
      path: /data/hostpath-test
      type: DirectoryOrCreate

Apply the Pod:

kubectl apply -f hostpath-pod.yaml

Step 3: Interact with the Pod

Enter the pod and write a file:

kubectl exec -it hostpath-demo -- sh
echo "This is written from the pod" > /data/hello.txt
exit

Step 4: Verify on the Host

On the host (e.g. minikube ssh):

cat /data/hostpath-test/hello.txt

You should see:

This is written from the pod

Step 5 (Optional): Test persistence

Delete and recreate the Pod:

kubectl delete pod hostpath-demo
kubectl apply -f hostpath-pod.yaml

Then check again in the pod:

kubectl exec -it hostpath-demo -- cat /data/hello.txt

The file should still be there.

What have You Learned

  • hostPath allows pods to access host node files/directories.
  • Changes from inside the pod are reflected on the host and vice versa.
  • This is useful for debugging, logs, or interacting with host-mounted devices — but not recommended for production due to tight coupling with host nodes.