Kube9 VS Code Extension

Status

MVP - Available Now

Overview

The Kube9 VS Code extension provides intelligent Kubernetes cluster management directly within VS Code. It offers real-time cluster visualization, context-aware analysis, and troubleshooting assistance for your clusters.

Key Features

📊 Context-Aware Analysis

Intelligent cluster analysis and troubleshooting assistance. Understand your resources, diagnose deployment issues, and receive actionable recommendations.

🗂️ Multi-Cluster Management

Manage multiple clusters and contexts from one place. The extension uses your local kubeconfig and keeps all cluster data on your machine.

👁️ Real-Time Visualization

View pods, services, deployments, and other resources in real-time with an intuitive tree view interface.

🔍 Resource Details

Click any resource to get detailed information and analysis. Understand deployment status, pod health, resource consumption, and cluster state.

🔐 Privacy-First Design

Routine cluster operations use your kubeconfig and the Kubernetes API from your machine; manifests, resource names, and log content are not uploaded for normal management. The extension may emit optional product telemetry (governed by your VS Code / marketplace telemetry settings) for coarse feature usage and outcomes—never cluster names, kubeconfig paths, manifests, log lines, or API bodies. See the extension README.

🔄 ArgoCD Integration

Seamless integration with ArgoCD for enhanced drift detection and GitOps visibility.

✅ Well-Architected Framework

When paired with the Kube9 Operator, view comprehensive Well-Architected Framework assessments directly in VS Code.

Installation

For Users

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + X)
3. Search for "kube9"
4. Click Install

For Developers

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/alto9/kube9-vscode.git
cd kube9-vscode

# Install dependencies (requires Node.js 22+)
npm install

# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile

# Press F5 in VS Code to open Extension Development Host

Optional: Install Kube9 Operator for Enhanced Monitoring

helm repo add kube9 https://charts.kube9.io
helm repo update
helm install kube9-operator kube9/kube9-operator \
  --namespace kube9-system \
  --create-namespace

Configuration

Configure Kube9 in VS Code Settings. Common options:

{
  "kube9.debugMode": false,
  "kube9.serverUrl": "https://api.kube9.io",
  "kube9.operatorNamespace": null,
  "kube9.timeout.connection": 10000,
  "kube9.timeout.apiRequest": 30000,
  "kube9.errors.showDetails": false,
  "kube9.errors.throttleWindow": 5000
}

• kube9.operatorNamespace: Leave unset for auto-detection, or set a string (all clusters) or an object mapping context name → namespace if the operator is not in the default location.
• Operator features: Assessment and operator health views are available when the kube9-operator is installed and its status ConfigMap is readable with your kubeconfig.

Pod logs viewer — stream and inspect pod logs inside VS Code.

First Steps

1. Open Kube9 Cluster Manager in the Activity Bar, then the Clusters view.
2. Confirm your kubeconfig is available (default: ~/.kube/config).
3. Expand a cluster and namespaces, or switch the active context from the tree.
4. Use context menus or the Command Palette for actions such as View Logs, assessments, ArgoCD sync, and port forwarding.

Links

• GitHub Repository
• Report Issues