# `kubectx` + `kubens`: Power tools for kubectl ![Latest GitHub release](https://img.shields.io/github/release/ahmetb/kubectx.svg) ![GitHub stars](https://img.shields.io/github/stars/ahmetb/kubectx.svg?label=github%20stars) ![Homebrew downloads](https://img.shields.io/homebrew/installs/dy/kubectx?label=macOS%20installs) [![Go implementation (CI)](https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectx/workflows/Go%20implementation%20(CI)/badge.svg)](https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectx/actions?query=workflow%3A"Go+implementation+(CI)") ![Proudly written in Bash](https://img.shields.io/badge/written%20in-bash-ff69b4.svg) This repository provides both `kubectx` and `kubens` tools. [Install →](#installation) > **🥳📰 NEWS:** With v0.9.0 `kubectx` and `kubens` **are now rewritten in Go**. > (Don't worry, our lovely **bash** versions are still available!) Please test > this new Go binaries by downloading them from > [**Releases →**](https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectx/releases) **`kubectx`** helps you switch between clusters back and forth: ![kubectx demo GIF](img/kubectx-demo.gif) **`kubens`** helps you switch between Kubernetes namespaces smoothly: ![kubens demo GIF](img/kubens-demo.gif) # kubectx(1) kubectx is a utility to manage and switch between kubectl(1) contexts. ``` USAGE: kubectx : list the contexts kubectx : switch to context kubectx - : switch to the previous context kubectx -c, --current : show the current context name kubectx = : rename context to kubectx =. : rename current-context to kubectx -d : delete context ('.' for current-context) (this command won't delete the user/cluster entry that is used by the context) kubectx -u, --unset : unset the current context ``` ### Usage ```sh $ kubectx minikube Switched to context "minikube". $ kubectx - Switched to context "oregon". $ kubectx - Switched to context "minikube". $ kubectx dublin=gke_ahmetb_europe-west1-b_dublin Context "dublin" set. Aliased "gke_ahmetb_europe-west1-b_dublin" as "dublin". ``` `kubectx` supports Tab completion on bash/zsh/fish shells to help with long context names. You don't have to remember full context names anymore. ----- # kubens(1) kubens is a utility to switch between Kubernetes namespaces. ``` USAGE: kubens : list the namespaces kubens : change the active namespace kubens - : switch to the previous namespace kubens -c, --current : show the current namespace ``` ### Usage ```sh $ kubens kube-system Context "test" set. Active namespace is "kube-system". $ kubens - Context "test" set. Active namespace is "default". ``` `kubens` also supports Tab completion on bash/zsh/fish shells. ----- ## Installation > **🥳📰 NEWS:** With v0.9.0 `kubectx` and `kubens` **are now rewritten in Go**. > (Don't worry, our lovely **bash** versions are still available!) Please test > this new Go binaries by downloading them from > [**Releases →**](https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectx/releases) There are several installation options: - [as kubectl plugins (macOS & Linux)](#kubectl-plugins-macos-and-linux) - [with Homebrew (macOS & Linux)](#homebrew-macos-and-linux) - [with MacPorts (macOS)](#macports-macos) - [with apt (Debian)](#apt-debian) - [with pacman (Arch Linux)](#pacman-arch-linux) - [manually (macOS & Linux)](#manual-installation-macos-and-linux) If you like to add context/namespace information to your shell prompt (`$PS1`), you can try out [kube-ps1](https://github.com/jonmosco/kube-ps1). ### Kubectl Plugins (macOS and Linux) You can install and use the [Krew](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/krew/) kubectl plugin manager to get `kubectx` and `kubens`. **NOTE:** This will not install the shell completion scripts. If you want them, choose another installation method or install the scripts [manually](#manual-installation-macos-and-linux). ```sh kubectl krew install ctx kubectl krew install ns ``` After installing, the tools will be available as `kubectl ctx` and `kubectl ns`. ### Homebrew (macOS and Linux) If you use [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) you can install like this: ```sh brew install kubectx ``` This command will set up bash/zsh/fish completion scripts automatically. ### MacPorts (macOS) If you use [MacPorts](https://www.macports.org) you can install like this: ```sh sudo port install kubectx ``` ### apt (Debian) ``` bash sudo apt install kubectx ``` Newer versions might be available on repos like [Debian Buster (testing)](https://packages.debian.org/buster/kubectx), [Sid (unstable)](https://packages.debian.org/sid/kubectx) (_if you are unfamiliar with the Debian release process and how to enable testing/unstable repos, check out the [Debian Wiki](https://wiki.debian.org/DebianReleases)_): ### pacman (Arch Linux) Available as official Arch Linux package. Install it via: ```bash sudo pacman -S kubectx ``` ### Manual Installation (macOS and Linux) Since `kubectx` and `kubens` are written in Bash, you should be able to install them to any POSIX environment that has Bash installed. - Download the `kubectx`, and `kubens` scripts. - Either: - save them all to somewhere in your `PATH`, - or save them to a directory, then create symlinks to `kubectx`/`kubens` from somewhere in your `PATH`, like `/usr/local/bin` - Make `kubectx` and `kubens` executable (`chmod +x ...`) Example installation steps: ``` bash sudo git clone https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectx /opt/kubectx sudo ln -s /opt/kubectx/kubectx /usr/local/bin/kubectx sudo ln -s /opt/kubectx/kubens /usr/local/bin/kubens ``` If you also want to have shell completions, pick an installation method for the [completion scripts](completion/) that fits your system best: [`zsh` with `antibody`](#completion-scripts-for-zsh-with-antibody), [plain `zsh`](#completion-scripts-for-plain-zsh), [`bash`](#completion-scripts-for-bash) or [`fish`](#completion-scripts-for-fish). #### Completion scripts for `zsh` with [antibody](https://getantibody.github.io) Add this line to your [Plugins File](https://getantibody.github.io/usage/) (e.g. `~/.zsh_plugins.txt`): ``` ahmetb/kubectx path:completion kind:fpath ``` Depending on your setup, you might or might not need to call `compinit` or `autoload -U compinit && compinit` in your `~/.zshrc` after you load the Plugins file. If you use [oh-my-zsh](https://github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh), load the completions before you load `oh-my-zsh` because `oh-my-zsh` will call `compinit`. #### Completion scripts for plain `zsh` The completion scripts have to be in a path that belongs to `$fpath`. Either link or copy them to an existing folder. Example with [`oh-my-zsh`](https://github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh): ```bash mkdir -p ~/.oh-my-zsh/completions chmod -R 755 ~/.oh-my-zsh/completions ln -s /opt/kubectx/completion/_kubectx.zsh ~/.oh-my-zsh/completions/_kubectx.zsh ln -s /opt/kubectx/completion/_kubens.zsh ~/.oh-my-zsh/completions/_kubens.zsh ``` If completion doesn't work, add `autoload -U compinit && compinit` to your `.zshrc` (similar to [`zsh-completions`](https://github.com/zsh-users/zsh-completions/blob/master/README.md#oh-my-zsh)). If you are not using [`oh-my-zsh`](https://github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh), you could link to `/usr/share/zsh/functions/Completion` (might require sudo), depending on the `$fpath` of your zsh installation. In case of errors, calling `compaudit` might help. #### Completion scripts for `bash` ```bash git clone https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectx.git ~/.kubectx COMPDIR=$(pkg-config --variable=completionsdir bash-completion) ln -sf ~/.kubectx/completion/kubens.bash $COMPDIR/kubens ln -sf ~/.kubectx/completion/kubectx.bash $COMPDIR/kubectx cat << EOF >> ~/.bashrc #kubectx and kubens export PATH=~/.kubectx:\$PATH EOF ``` #### Completion scripts for `fish` ```fish mkdir -p ~/.config/fish/completions ln -s /opt/kubectx/completion/kubectx.fish ~/.config/fish/completions/ ln -s /opt/kubectx/completion/kubens.fish ~/.config/fish/completions/ ``` ----- ### Interactive mode If you want `kubectx` and `kubens` commands to present you an interactive menu with fuzzy searching, you just need to [install `fzf`](https://github.com/junegunn/fzf) in your `$PATH`. ![kubectx interactive search with fzf](img/kubectx-interactive.gif) If you have `fzf` installed, but want to opt out of using this feature, set the environment variable `KUBECTX_IGNORE_FZF=1`. If you want to keep `fzf` interactive mode but need the default behavior of the command, you can do it using Unix composability: ``` kubectx | cat ``` ----- ### Customizing colors If you like to customize the colors indicating the current namespace or context, set the environment variables `KUBECTX_CURRENT_FGCOLOR` and `KUBECTX_CURRENT_BGCOLOR` (refer color codes [here](https://linux.101hacks.com/ps1-examples/prompt-color-using-tput/)): ``` export KUBECTX_CURRENT_FGCOLOR=$(tput setaf 6) # blue text export KUBECTX_CURRENT_BGCOLOR=$(tput setab 7) # white background ``` Colors in the output can be disabled by setting the [`NO_COLOR`](http://no-color.org/) environment variable. ----- #### Users | What are others saying about kubectx? | | ---- | | _“Thank you for kubectx & kubens - I use them all the time & have them in my k8s toolset to maintain happiness :) ”_ – [@pbouwer](https://twitter.com/pbouwer/status/925896377929949184) | | _“I can't imagine working without kubectx and especially kubens anymore. It's pure gold.”_ – [@timoreimann](https://twitter.com/timoreimann/status/925801946757419008) | | _“I'm liking kubectx from @ahmetb, makes it super-easy to switch #Kubernetes contexts [...]”_ — [@lizrice](https://twitter.com/lizrice/status/928556415517589505) | | _“Also using it on a daily basis. This and my zsh config that shows me the current k8s context 😉”_ – [@puja108](https://twitter.com/puja108/status/928742521139810305) | | _“Lately I've found myself using the kubens command more than kubectx. Both very useful though :-)”_ – [@stuartleeks](https://twitter.com/stuartleeks/status/928562850464907264) | | _“yeah kubens rocks!”_ – [@embano1](https://twitter.com/embano1/status/928698440732815360) | | _“Special thanks to Ahmet Alp Balkan for creating kubectx, kubens, and kubectl aliases, as these tools made my life better.”_ – [@strebeld](https://medium.com/@strebeld/5-ways-to-enhance-kubectl-ux-97c8893227a) | | _“❤️ this shell script @ahmetb wrote to help make switching between kubectl config contexts a breeze.”_ – [@briandanowski](https://twitter.com/briandanowski/status/1085409568165896193) | > If you liked `kubectx`, you may like my [`kubectl-aliases`](https://github.com/ahmetb/kubectl-aliases) project, too. ----- Disclaimer: This is not an official Google product. #### Stargazers over time [![Stargazers over time](https://starchart.cc/ahmetb/kubectx.svg)](https://starchart.cc/ahmetb/kubectx) ![Google Analytics](https://ga-beacon.appspot.com/UA-2609286-17/kubectx/README?pixel)