K9s

Overview of K9s

K9s is a powerful terminal-based UI designed specifically for Kubernetes cluster management. This open-source tool provides developers and system administrators with an intuitive interface to navigate, monitor, and manage deployed applications across Kubernetes environments. K9s continuously watches for changes in your cluster and offers immediate commands to interact with observed resources, making it an essential tool for anyone working with container orchestration at scale.

Built for power users who need real-time visibility into their Kubernetes infrastructure, K9s handles both standard Kubernetes resources and custom resource definitions with equal efficiency. The tool is particularly valuable for DevOps teams, SREs, and developers who require quick access to cluster metrics, logs, and resource status without the complexity of traditional command-line interfaces. Explore related tools in Terminal Emulator and Dev Tools categories.

How to Use K9s

Getting started with K9s is straightforward – simply install the binary for your operating system and run the k9s command in your terminal. The tool automatically connects to your current Kubernetes context and presents a comprehensive dashboard of your cluster resources. Navigation is primarily keyboard-driven with intuitive hotkeys for common operations like viewing pod logs, scaling deployments, port forwarding, and restarting services. Users can customize their experience through skins, command aliases, and plugin development to match their specific workflow requirements.

Core Features of K9s

1. Real-time Cluster Monitoring – Continuously tracks Kubernetes resource activities and metrics
2. Advanced Resource Management – Handles both standard and custom resource definitions
3. Built-in Benchmarking – Tests HTTP services and pods to optimize resource allocation
4. RBAC Visualization – Displays cluster roles, bindings, and authorization rules
5. Customizable Interface – Supports skins, hotkeys, and plugin extensions

Use Cases for K9s

• Real-time Kubernetes cluster monitoring and observability
• Quick troubleshooting and debugging of pod and container issues
• RBAC rule analysis and security auditing for cluster permissions
• Performance benchmarking and resource optimization for applications
• Custom resource definition management and monitoring
• Development and testing workflows with instant resource access
• Production cluster management with quick scaling and restart capabilities

Support and Contact

For technical support and inquiries, contact the development team at fernand@imhotep.io. Additional resources and community support are available through the official K9s documentation and GitHub repository.

Company Info

K9s is developed by Fernand Galiana as an open-source project focused on improving the Kubernetes user experience. The tool is community-driven with active development and contributions from Kubernetes enthusiasts worldwide.

Login and Signup

K9s requires no registration or login process. Simply download the binary from the official K9s website and begin using it with your existing Kubernetes clusters.