kubectl-operator VS k9s

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:

Pierre: The first tool I recommend is K9s. It's not just a time-saver but a productivity booster. With its intuitive interface, you can speed up all the usual kubectl commands, access logs, edit resources and configurations, and more. It's like having a personal assistant for your cluster management tasks.

The last thing you really need is a common set of tools that you want fingertip access to. I really commonly use LazyGit and K9s in my day job so those are the tools I will show off in this article.

K9s is your best friend (get it? 🐶) when exploring your cluster via the terminal. It shares commonality with Vim for its interaction style using shortcuts and starting commands with: but don’t let that discourage you. K9s keeps a vigilant eye on Kubernetes activities, providing real-time information and intuitive commands for resource interaction.

k9s: brew install k9s

I would like to put in a vote for k9s, which is also on the list at Terminal Trove. [0] It's the most convenient tool I've ever found for Kubernetes management. Based on that experience I'll definitely be checking out Harlequin.

[0] https://k9scli.io/

$ wget https://github.com/derailed/k9s/releases/download/v0.29.1/k9s_Darwin_amd64.tar.gz $ tar -xzf k9s_Darwin_amd64.tar.gz $ sudo mv k9s /usr/local/bin/

All in all, run things, do some kubectl apply -f something.yml every day, install k9s, and try to configure a big one cluster at some point.

(K9s is one of my favorite tools for navigating Kubernetes clusters through the CLI).

K9s is an open-source, terminal-based UI for interacting with your Kubernetes clusters, making navigating, observing, and managing your apps easier. If you use Kubectl but wish it was easier and faster to use, K9s might be just what you're looking for!

k9s