kubectl-operator VS OpenLens

Kubernetes Operators simplify the management of complex applications on Kubernetes. In this guide, we'll walk through creating a simple Kubernetes Operator using the Operator Framework. We'll also cover setting up a local Kubernetes cluster with KIND (Kubernetes in Docker) and deploying the Operator to the KIND cluster.

There's a kubectl extension for it too. https://github.com/operator-framework/kubectl-operator

Since Go got generics, working with the Kubernetes API could become far more ergonomic. It's been pulling teeth until now. I'm eager to see how the upstream APIs change over time.

In the mean time, one of the creators of the Operator Framework[0] built a bunch of useful patterns using generics that we used to build the SpiceDB Operator[1] called controller-idioms[2].

Does anyone know of other efforts to improve the status quo?

[0]: https://operatorframework.io

[1]: https://github.com/authzed/spicedb-operator

[2]: https://github.com/authzed/controller-idioms

There are many frameworks, like the Operator Framework (https://operatorframework.io/) to the MetaController (https://github.com/metacontroller/metacontroller) to KubeBuilder(https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/kubebuilder) to the Kubernetes Operator Framework (kopf, https://kopf.readthedocs.io/en/stable/), among others.

Operator lifecycle manager (OLM) is a Kubernetes feature & is part of Operator framework which provides tools that helps in the development and management of operators. OpenShift 4.x is build using different operators that manages cluster components like api-server, etcd, authentication, OAuth, ingress, etc. OpenShift makes use of OLM to install these operators as part of cluster build & OLM comes by default with OpenShift. OLM is an operator itself and understanding how it manages the operator lifecycle using different CRD’s & its flow is important, which I have explained in my article.

The documentation gives you all available options, but many of them are optional. If you know the package name of the operator (which you can get either via oc get packagemanifests or kubectl operator list-available from the kubectl plugin all you really need is:

To support visual feedback for the users who are using tools like Openlens, we can add a +kubebuilder:printcolumn annotation to the MyApp struct. To do so, add the following code to the MyApp struct:

There is also OpenLens (https://github.com/MuhammedKalkan/OpenLens). And for anyone switching from Lens, pod shell and logs functionality can be found as an extension.

`openlens` is now preferred over `Lens`, it has everything you need and none of the fluff that Lens wants to charge you for.

It's actually called OpenLens: https://github.com/lensapp/lens#readme but I don't think the official repo offers binary builds of it. Someone does here though: https://github.com/MuhammedKalkan/OpenLens

It's already at OpenLens readme file: https://github.com/MuhammedKalkan/OpenLens

You can use Lens which also offers a free license. I would also take a look at OpenLens. You stated that you were looking for something GUI-centric, but I would also take a look at k9s to help you dig deep into your cluster, quickly.

For managing clusters via Windows, check out WSL2 + k9s and OpenLens

Yep Rancher or K3s is a good start. As is OpenLens.