python -c 'exec /usr/bin/curl ...' is shell syntax, not Python, so every probe raised SyntaxError and the pod never became ready. Verified curl against /login/ returns HTTP 200.
compose.yaml is a local-only stand on 127.0.0.1:8000 per README; the live service runs in-cluster. The root active marker made apply-compose fail on gitignored .env vars.